The Little Merman: A Story of Change
by I've-Gotta-Be-Me
Summary: A Klaine fic crossed over into Disney's "A Little Mermaid". Kurt is a merman prince in line for his own throne searching for something more than himself. What he doesn't know is that that something will manifest itself into the form of a human prince.
1. The Little Merman

The sky was covered with thick clouds, patches of bright blue spotting where the white masses broke. The wind was strong and salty as it flowed throughBlaine's hair in the fine early morning breeze. The salty sea water sprayed on his face as he and his fellow Warblers took to sea.

Whenever the pressures of royal life started to settle in, they seemed to be able to sense it and suggested taking his yacht out for a spin. And maybe it didn't hurt that today was his birthday anyways – No Prince business allowed; a very strict Warbler's policy. They sped away from the kingdom, flying across the water, leaving all of Blaine's problems behind.

_"Could there be a more perfect morning?"_ Blaine wondered to himself as he stood at the bow of the ship, staring down into the fathomless blue water.

* * *

><p>Kurt awoke with a start.<p>

He'd been dreaming about a wonderful dark-haired boy with the deepest brown eyes he'd ever seen. It was like he'd seen him before, but that couldn't be…it was only a dream, right? But still the silhouette of the boy lingered behind his eyelids, keeping his attention. He shook his head delicately, pushing the image to the back of his mind.

He fiddled with the ever-present shell necklace around his neck. His father had given it to him when he was very young – a keepsake from the mother he'd never really known. It was the only thing he ever felt that truly belonged to him and when he wore it, he felt closer to his mom even though she was gone. It was for this reason that he never took it off.

He stretched in his bed which was really just half of a large shell cushioned with the sea's finest pillows and sheets. He took in a deep breath of water and couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit resentful that he couldn't wake up to his lungs full of fresh air. Any human would have died living underwater, but Kurt Hummel wasn't a human; He was a merman.

_"And an unhappy merman at that,"_ he thought as he flexed the tail of his fin.

But why should he be unhappy? Not only was he creature that the human race wrote fantasies and tales about, not only did he get to live among a variety of sea creatures, have a voice all the other merpeople envied, and live in the most beautiful part of the ocean…No, there was much more than that.

Kurt was a _prince._ His father was known to the rest merpeople as King Burt and he was beloved by all in the kingdom as he reigned in peace. That meant that Kurt got to live in the castle and one day he would eventually take over the throne from his father. One day all of the creatures of the sea would bow to him.

It was every merman's dream, but Kurt couldn't comprehend what was so appealing about it. Lately, he spent all his time sulking and feeling utterly empty.

He rolled over in the giant bed and stared up at the seaweed canopy hanging above him. All he wanted was an escape – was that too much to ask? Something that could save him from his responsibilities – something that could free him.

Just then, he heard a sound as something swam through his window and right up to his bed.

"Are you awake, _your royal highness_?" a voice mocked.

Kurt smiled and turned over. Sure enough, there was Mercedes, a yellow and blue round fish staring at him with raised eyebrows. Kurt chuckled before feigning exasperation.

"You know me, Mercedes. I have to get my beauty sleep," he said dramatically.

She rolled her eyes at him teasingly. "Yeah yeah, just get up. I'm dying to get out of here already," she admitted.

"Well aren't we the adventurous one this morning?" Kurt asked. "Yeah, I'm up" he quickly sat up from under his sheets and threw them aside in one smooth motion. "Let's just take the window and forget the front door, okay?"

Mercedes threw him a questioning look.

"It's just that," Kurt said, running a hand through his brown hair, "I don't want to deal with my dad this morning, okay? He'll start talking about my royal tasks as a prince or something…and I'm just not up to it right now, alright?" he pleaded with her.

She nodded. "Alright, I get it - the pressures of royal life and all that. You're lucky you don't live with my mom. If I ever snuck out, she'd sell me as shark bait."

Kurt waved her comment away and quickly swam past her and through the window. She followed him hurriedly, taking one last glance back at his enormous bedroom. The sad thing was that Kurt's dad would probably never even know he was gone in the first place.

They swam for a long time further and further away from the kingdom, saying nothing to one another. Mercedes could sense Kurt's anxiety every minute that he kept to himself and finally broke the silence when she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Kurt, what's wrong?"

He slowed down his pace by a fraction as he considered her question. He _should_ tell her; she was his best friend after all. But could she possibly understand? He didn't even understand it himself…

He took a deep breath, "Don't you ever feel like – I don't know – like you're meant for something else? Something _more?_" he asked quietly.

Mercedes seemed to mull it over for a second, obviously confused, before carefully answering.

"No, not really." She glanced at him, "Do _you_ feel that way?"

He exhaled slowly, some bubbles escaping his lips. "Maybe a little bit. I just feel like I'm _missing _something in my life. Something being King won't give me."

Mercedes was worried about him, but said nothing aloud. Instead she changed the subject abruptly.

"Well, I don't know about all that," she said, "But would you at least tell me where we're going? I don't think I've ever been this far away from home before."

"Really?" Kurt asked, surprised. "I go out here all the time. It's nice to think in the clear, open water." He turned to look her in the eyes, "We're going to one of my favorite places in the world – the sunken ship yard."

"I'm not gonna lie, that sounds kind of creepy. Like a graveyard of ships or something," Mercedes admitted. "It kind of screams 'keep out'."

"It's nothing like that, I promise," Kurt hastened to assure her. "There's just this huge cruise ship that sank a few years ago and it's remained mostly intact – great condition, really. I go there and look around sometimes, trying to find the things that are salvageable," he indicated the leather messenger back slung over his shoulder.

"Most of all, I love finding the clothing left behind," he confessed. Mercedes looked at him like he was insane, so he plowed on before she could interrupt. "I mean, a lot of wealthy people must've sailed on that ship because there's a lot of high class pieces left behind. I, for one, find it fascinating."

Mercedes snorted. "Yeah, well _I_, for one, find it useless. You know no one down here wears human clothing. The mermaids stick with shells and that's about the extent of our fashion," she pointed out.

"I know," Kurt groaned. "It's really sad, actually. What I wouldn't give to spice up some of those merpeople's outfits," he said with genuine longing in his voice.

Mercedes swam quickly to pass him and popped up right in front of his face, effectively bringing him to a stop.

"What?" Kurt asked confusedly.

Mercedes narrowed her eyes. "Kurt, you can't talk like that. Fashion, clothing – all that stuff belongs to the human world. It's not right for you to be talking about it like that; acting like you could ever be a part of that while you're down here. It's forbidden. You, of all merpeople, should know that," she concluded, fins on her hips.

Kurt looked down, suddenly ashamed he'd said anything at all.

Mercedes continued, "You know what those humans are doing to our community, Kurt. Just last night, hundreds of fish disappeared. Their families are devastated; they'll probably never see them again. To humans, fishing is a business – something to make money off of. They don't understand what your father is trying to do down here everyday: letting all fish live in harmony." She shook her head. "I'm just worried about you, okay? Humans are – well, they're dangerous. What would you do if one day I didn't show up anymore? I just don't think you should idolize their ways."

Kurt sighed deeply before swimming around Mercedes, the ship yard in sight.

"Look, they might be 'evil' or 'dangerous' according to you, but I think they're also genius. They've made so many amazing things in such a short time and maybe if they're able to make such wonderful stuff, they can't be all that bad."

He'd said it mostly for himself, to justify his actions. But it just_had_ to be true, didn't it? Surely _all_ humans couldn't be so cruel.

They finally came up to a huge white ship sitting rather serenely on a large, flat rock. If it hadn't been for the sole fact that it was underwater, Mercedes might've thought it a perfectly functioning vessel. Kurt had been right when he said it was upscale - the ship had to be at least two football fields long and extremely tall. No wonder Kurt spent a lot of time there; he'd probably never even gotten through the whole ship.

Kurt watched Mercedes gaze of wonder as her eyes swept the ship's exterior. He nodded and smiled a bit.

"Impressive, right?" he asked, turning to see her reaction.

All she could muster was an open-mouthed nod.

"Come on," Kurt said, grabbing her fin and dragging her through a broken window. "Today I planned on looking in the first class quarters. There's probably some real treasure there."

They passed a rusty ballroom, a corroded dining hall, and a wide staircase before finally reaching the rooms they were looking for. Kurt rushed inside an open room while Mercedes floated tentatively just outside of the door.

"Are you sure it's…safe?" she asked.

"Of course it's safe, silly!" Kurt said, "But, if you're so worried, you can just stay in the hallway and watch for sharks."

"Sharks?" she exclaimed. "Nuh uh, I didn't sign up for shark duty. I'm sticking with you." She hastily swam inside, almost bumping into Kurt.

"Calm down. Geez, you're such a guppy," he teased.

Mercedes huffed at the nickname. "I am most certainly _not_ a guppy."

Kurt just ignored her and started rummaging through the broken closet. His favorite things to find, by far, were shoes. Maybe that sounded a little ridiculous; but to someone who didn't have feet, it was exciting to find something so foreign yet still so beautiful.

"Whoa," he sighed in awe as he found what looked like a black lace-up boot.

That was the thing about shipwrecks: you could never find a _pair_ of shoes, only one. But that didn't stop Kurt from collecting them and practically salivating over them later. He ran his hands over the laces and he inhaled the smell of damp leather.

He remembered the first time he ever found a shoe, a few years ago. He'd even tried to put it on his tail fin, very much in vain. He remembered being so disappointed when he couldn't wear the shoe that he sat on the floor of his room and cried for hours, utterly heartbroken.

He stroked the boot in his hand once more, feeling an intense envy for humans and their so-called "feet". Why couldn't he have something as fantastic as this to call his own?

He shook his head and shoved the boot into his bag. He continued rummaging through the closet and found the vest to a tux. He'd seen tuxedos in paintings he'd found long ago and he held it up to his bare chest, once again feeling a pang of jealousy that he wasn't allowed to wear anything like this. Into the bag it went along with a pair of cufflinks lying on the floor.

"What are these things?" asked Mercedes, pointing a fin to a broken bookshelf.

"Oh," Kurt chuckled at her ignorance, "those are books. There are stories inside of them. Let me see."

He swam over and took a look at the titles: _Pride & Prejudice, Aesop's Fables, _and_Moby Dick._ Well, _Moby Dick_ looked like it was about a whale, and Kurt knew plenty about whales, so he tucked it into his bag as well.

The rest of the room didn't contain anything too interesting and Kurt's small bag was already pretty full. He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Mercedes.

"Oh well, let's get out of here." He had a sudden idea, "Hey, let's go see Finn. I always like sharing what I find with him."

"Who's Finn?" Mercedes asked, but Kurt had already disappeared through the door and out of the ship.

She wiggled her fins quickly to try and catch up to him. When she got out of the ship, she saw his ascending figure heading towards the surface. She sped after him, more than a little confused.

Kurt broke through the surface of the water and took in a deep breath of fresh air. His lungs adjusted easily, as if no change had been made at all. Air was so much lighter than water, so much easier to take in. He took another luxurious breath as Mercedes popped up next to him. They were floating at the edge of a rock and on that rock appeared to be some kind of nest.

Although, if you asked Mercedes, it just looked like a sporadic pile of twigs that some psychotic bird had piled all willy-nilly.

"Hey, Finn!" called Kurt.

A seagull's head popped up from the nest and looked around confusedly for a moment before spotting who had called.

"Kurt!" the seagull exclaimed. "To what do I owe the honor? No, don't tell me. You went to the ship again." Finn stepped out of the nest and walked down to where Kurt was resting his arms on the stone.

"Yes," Kurt started excitedly, glad that someone shared his enthusiasm about human artifacts. "I took Mercedes there this morning and we went into one of the first-class bedrooms." Kurt pulled up his bag and took out the boot, the vest, and the wet book.

"Wow," Finn examined the boot quickly. "Kurt, this isn't just a normal boot. It's a _Jimmy Choo_ boot. I've seen all the high-class women wearing them around lately. He's a famous shoe designer. What a lucky find."

His eyes ran over the vest. "Of course, you know what that is. It's a vest that men wear with their tuxedos. You would look great in it…" he reveled as he held up the silky fabric.

"Ah, _Moby Dick_." Finn said, putting down the vest. "A famous whale tale." He chuckled at his humor. "I'm sure if your dad read human books, he'd love this story. I mean, after what he did with that Whale's Rights Bill? I respect him."

Kurt's eyes went wide with shock and he let out a panicked gasp.

"Oh my god! My dad! We were supposed to go over legislation today and then he was going to present me officially to the royal court!"

He knew he'd already missed it by a long shot but he hurriedly tossed all of his findings into his bag once more before hastily pushing off from the rock.

"Thank you for everything, Finn! See you later!" he called over his shoulder before diving into the depths once more. Mercedes followed closely as they swam at breakneck speed back to the castle.

"My dad is going to _kill_ me," moaned Kurt, before swimming even faster than before, leaving the surface far behind him.

* * *

><p><em>AN: __I love all of you willing to give this story a chance :D_

_**[EDIT:]** I'm very slowly going through this story and making minior changes to it. So if a few details change, you know why (:_

_ALSO, this was my very first attempt at fanfiction and I LOVE that everyone's still reading, but it's a teensy weensy embarassing for me at the same time because I'm sure there are basic mistakes in here and my writing style is different now; what I'm trying to say is don't judge me TOO hard, okay? I'm still very proud of this monster :D_


	2. A Tail of a Different Kind

Kurt and Mercedes were nearing the kingdom, thinking their biggest worry was the wrath of one very angry King. But little did they know that someone far more menacing was watching them as they swam...

Sue Sylvester was one of the most feared creatures in the seven seas. She'd started out as the royal treasurer, but she'd tried to take overthrow some of the smaller organizations, and then eventually the kingdom one too many times. So many times, in fact, that King Burt banished her far away from the castle, in hopes that her isolation would keep everyone else safe.

Sue eyed her magic mirror, narrowing her eyes at the vision of the crown prince swimming through the blue water.

Her tentacles curled in an automatic response of hatred for everything he was connected to. Not only did he have the most beautiful voice that was renowned far and wide under the ocean, but he was also in line to inherit the throne soon – something she envied greatly.

She'd been keeping an eye on him, his attitude, and his passion for helping others. She just knew that when his time to ascend the throne came, he'd only bring prosperity to the kingdom.

Well, Sue definitely did _not_ care for prosperity, nor progress, for that matter. She was sick of the Glee Club King Burt had set up for his precious little son to participate in getting the whole kingdom's attention. She hated all the great acts he'd been setting in motion and all she wanted was to steal his crown; to be the one in power.

Why, if she ran the kingdom, everything would be about her. She'd have everyone bowing down to her and finally have the power to destroy all the do-gooders far and wide. Not to mention the powerful trident that King Burt possessed. Sue might have magical powers and a knack for mixing potions, but to be able to acquire the trident…that would make her unstoppable.

As she continued staring disdainfully into the glass of the mirror, the wheels in her head began to turn.

"Santana!Brittany!" she called over her shoulder.

Two mesmerizing eel-like creatures came up behind her. Sue turned around quickly to face them.

"I need you to follow Prince Kurt for me. I've seen him coming from the surface, so I know he holds no regard for the laws of the merpeople." She narrowed her eyes slyly.

Santana and Brittany exchanged sly looks.

Sue went on. "He obviously holds an interest for the human world, which is good – a weakness. I need you to watch his every move. If I get rid of him…" she trailed off into an evil smile. "Let's just say a different creature might be running things down here."

Her sidekicks gave her a solemn nod of understanding before swimming away.

With a wave of her hand, the mirror was wiped clean.

* * *

><p>The golden peaks of the castle glistened in the early afternoon light. They extended for miles and miles, engulfing the entire community. Many merfolk waved at Kurt as he sped by, calling "<em>good day's<em>" and "_how are you's_" after him. But he was in such a hurry that he just waved half-heartedly, already consumed with worry about what his father would say to him. He could hear Mercedes huffing and puffing behind him, struggling to keep up.

Finally, they entered the throne room and Kurt slowed down to a halt behind a pillar, trying to catch his breath. Mercedes crashed into him from his abrupt stop.

"Kurt, are you okay?" she asked, panting slightly.

"Yeah, I just can't rush in there like a maniac," he replied, visibly trying to slow his breathing as well.

He peeked out from behind the pillar and saw his father sitting on his high throne, looking less than pleased. Kurt pulled his head back and out of view once more to face Mercedes.

"If I look guilty, he'll just get even more mad, knowing he's justified. No, we have to act natural." He tried again, unsuccessfully, to control his heart-rate.

Mercedes gave him a doubtful look as if to say, "_Yeah, good luck_."

"Well that's the best plan I have so far," Kurt defended himself. He looked at her, knowing he was lucky she was even willing to go in there with him.

"Look, I'm offering you an out right now - you don't have to come in with me. It'll probably be ugly, I won't lie. You don't have to sit there and take his yelling with me. You did nothing wrong, it was me who messed up."

She rolled her eyes, "When are you gonna get it, Kurt? We're in this together. You made _one_ mistake and I've got your back," she smiled at him.

"Okay," he sighed, feigning exasperation. "But don't say I didn't warn you." He took a deep breath, trying to build up the courage to face his dad. "Let's go."

He swam out from behind the pillar tentatively and up to his father, Mercedes trailing behind him. As he approached his dad, he hung his head in shame.

"Dad, I'm – I'm _so_ sorry I forgot about our lesson today and…" he ducked his head again, realizing just how dumb he'd been. "…And my presentation to theRoyal Court. I just – I…" he stammered for words, trying to explain what happened.

Burt didn't let him form the sentence; he silenced Kurt's incoherent mumbling with an angry glare and a deep breath.

"You've disappointed me, Kurt. You really have." He shook his head at his son. "How could you be so irresponsible? So disrespectful? Not only to me, but to the entire court!" His voice had risen to a shout. He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, as if in weariness.

"Kurt, I was supposed to teach you about signing a bill into law today. Then you were supposed to be debuted…I was going to introduce you to all the highly available mermaids in the court! I'm not going to be on the throne much longer because you are going to take my place! You have an eye for what the people need – what they want from a ruler. And the only way you can take my title is if you marry. But since you seem to reject every mermaid you've met thus far, for reasons I cannot understand, I need to introduce you to some fine, suitable, young mermaids."

Then Rachel appeared from behind Burt, looking especially peeved.

Even though she was merely a tiny crab, she had an enormous ego and was glaring at Kurt as if she wished she could attack him now. She cleared her throat before taking advantage of Burt's pause.

"And you were supposed to perform! I am the president of the Glee Club and we worked hard this whole past month coming up with the perfect song for you to solo in! How could you forget after the countless practices we had?" she huffed at him furiously.

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but she didn't let him speak.

"Do you have any idea how foolish we looked on stage, waiting for you to appear? When you didn't, _I_ had to take over - not that that was a problem," she gloated. "I, of course, have amazing talent. If it weren't for me, the whole show would have been a loss."

Kurt bit lip in disappointment. He'd wanted a solo performance for so long, and now he'd missed it. Who knew when another opportunity would come up? He was inwardly kicking himself for being so impulsive and going to the ship.

Rachel continued, not noticing Kurt's distress one bit. "You should be ashamed of yourself. What's more important than the kingdom you will eventually inherit and the subjects of which you will one day rule over?"

She'd swam up to Kurt during her dramatic speech and punctuated her last comment by jabbing a claw in his face. Kurt flinched back to avoid it and glared down at the tiny crab.

"That's _enough,_ Rachel," Burt sighed, waving her back. He looked up from where his head was cradled in his hands to glare at Kurt.

He took a slow breath. "I am extremely disappointed in you, son. You'd better have one great explanation for why you missed everything this morning."

Kurt opened his mouth to tell his story, but nothing came out. He gaped silently at his father, trying to find the right words to sway him, but none came.

Mercedes saw his struggle and swam in front of Kurt defensively.

"It's not his fault!" she said boldly, "He was just feeling down in the dumps because of all the pressure that's on his shoulders here." She gestured to the grand throne room they stood in. "Can't you understand what it must be like to be so young and have the fate of an entire kingdom depending on you? I mean, Kurt tries so hard and he's always so busy. You could cut him some slack here and there. I mean, he does care about you."

She was babbling now and couldn't stop herself. "For instance, when we were talking to that crazy seagull and Kurt realized he'd missed the gala, he was so _upset_ and immediately came rushing home…" But she didn't get to finish as she saw Burt's eyes go wide with comprehension.

Kurt stared open-mouthed at Mercedes before sending her a death glare.

"Remind me to _never _let you defend me ever again, okay?" he said through gritted teeth.

Burt got up from his throne quickly and swam up to Kurt angrily, towering over him.

"A _seagull_?" he asked, the veins in his neck straining from anger. "Seagulls are from the surface. You went up there again, didn't you?" He threw up his hands in exasperation. "_Didn't you?_"

"Dad, I - "

"I don't know what to do with you anymore, young man!" he yelled. "You know the law - you know you're not allowed to leave the ocean, even if it's only to talk to some _seagull_!" his voice full of disgust.

"Please, I can - "

"Do you want some – some _human _to see you, Kurt? Is that what you want? For them to discover you - to discover our world? Do you want them to take you away and study you or make a display out of you?" he grabbed Kurt's shoulders. "Humans are dangerous! They don't care about you – they don't even believe we exist! They have been wiping out thousands of our community each year all for the sake of profit. Can't you see they don't care about the other creatures who share their world? And if they aren't selling fish to the market, they're catching dolphins and whales and taking them to museums for the _enjoyment_ of the public!" he spat out angrily. "They will hurt you, Kurt…" he trailed off and turned away, seeming to be lost in thought.

Kurt shook his head in irritation. "Look, no one saw me, okay? Finn's nest isn't even near the shore, there was no way -"

His father spun around quickly, his eyes full of anger.

"You think just because one of them didn't _see_ you that it makes it _okay_? Kurt, it is most definitely NOT okay! I don't want to hear about you ever going to the surface again, or so help me!" he clenched his fists in frustration. "Now not another word out of you, just…just leave." Burt sat down again wearily and looked at Kurt with sadness in his eyes.

Kurt could feel his own eyes starting to fill with tears and when he blinked, his tears overflowed and started running down his cheeks. Mercedes watched as his face crumpled in pain and looked on as he sped away and out of the throne room before hastily following him.

King Burt sighed heavily and looked at Rachel, who was still sitting beside his throne.

"Do you think I was too hard on him, Rachel?" he asked after a moment's pause, furrowing his brow in worry.

She looked up at him and puffed out her chest proudly.

"Absolutely not!" she said. "Why, I think you were even too easy on him! You didn't even punish him or anything. If it were me, I'd assign him an escort or something, to ensure that he didn't go to the surface ever again. But some people call me hard-shelled."

Burt nodded in agreement. "You're completely right. I need to know that he never tries to go up there again." He looked thoughtfully down at her before making up his mind. "_You _could do it for me!" he said, jabbing a finger at Rachel's shell.

"M-me?" she stammered. "Why, no. I just couldn't, that's – that's overstepping my bounds as Glee Club president…isn't it?" she asked him.

He chuckled, "Of course not, especially not now that I'm making it an _order._" He arched his eyebrows, silently daring her to decline once more. "You are now Kurt's official escort. And as your first duty, I need you to follow him right now."

Rachel thought about protesting, but she saw the look in Burt's eyes – he was dead serious.

"I guess I'll just go that way then," she gestured in the direction that Kurt had disappeared in before scurrying away quickly, so as not to get herself into anymore trouble…

* * *

><p>Rachel blindly darted down the hallway, not having the slightest clue where Kurt might've swam off to. She looked around worriedly, fearing that she might be failing already at her new job.<p>

She kept walking until she saw that the pathway led to the backside of the kingdom and to a deserted stretch of ocean. She wasn't fond about the idea of leaving the safety of the castle, but she also heard a noise coming from that direction.

She started swimming to pick up speed and saw the end of Kurt's fin disappear around the corner of a rock. She swam faster.

When she finally reached the spot she'd seen him last, she saw them ahead at the mouth of a hidden cave.

_"Where are they going?"_ she thought to herself before hastily heading towards it.

The entrance was covered with strategically placed coral, but she saw how they maneuvered through it before clambering through it herself. If she hadn't followed them, she would've never noticed the opening in the first place.

She silently scampered into the cave and when she came to the center of it, her eyes went wide with shock and she went slack-jawed from what she saw before her.

She ran to hide behind a nearby rock before the other two caught her spying.

"_Oh my God,_" was all she could think when she peeked out to look at what was within the cave once more.


	3. Treasure Trove

_A/N: My fic is completely inspired by Muchacha10's beautiful artwork! I must always give thanks to her for being an outstanding talent._

_In this chapter, there is singing. (Come on, this is based off of a) Glee and b) a Disney movie. Did you honestly think there'd be no singing?) I did not want to use the original Disney songs because I feel that would be overstepping my bounds as a writer. So I diligently went through all the songs that I have and finally, after much debate (and many re-writes), picked one that I thought fit extremely well for this part. I hope you like it._

* * *

><p>Kurt and Mercedes sat in the middle of a vast cove that seemed to go on for miles.<p>

Rachel noticed from her hiding spot that it was almost full of human artifacts: paintings, furniture, books, clothing, shoes, and knick knacks of every variety. There was a record player, a vase, even a chandelier perched on a jutted out rock among countless other pieces. Rachel found the display both shocking and awe-inspiring.

Kurt lay on the sandy floor with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, deeply sighing. Mercedes lay next to him, studying him silently.

"Kurt?" she asked, "Are you okay?"

He sat up suddenly and pulled his fin to his chest, resting his arms there.

"I just…" he shook his head in frustration, "My dad doesn't understand! Nobody understands! I think humans are – well, I think they're fascinating, really. I think we could learn so much from them…"

"Kurt," Mercedes protested, "humans aren't all that. They have their problems too – namely their lack of compassion and their greed. But that's not the point; the point is that you live down here. You're a merman and they are humans – two species that can't ever be together. And you're in line for the throne - "

"I know!" Kurt burst out angrily. "That's all anyone ever tells me! All anyone ever expects of me! They say, 'Kurt, you're going to take over the kingdom.' 'Kurt, you're going to rule someday.' Well, guess what! I know that!" He glared at a wall in silent irritation.

He took a breath to steady himself and turned back to face Mercedes.

"Look, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have burst out at you like that. Forgive me?" He threw her a pleading look.

She merely rolled her eyes. "I'm used to your diva outbursts" she teased him. "Look, I've kept your secret about this crazy collection of yours even though I don't approve. I'm your best friend."

"I know, I know," Kurt said, pulling her into a hug.

"_But you still don't get it,_" he thought to himself.

"You know," he whispered softly, "Sometimes I wish that I was human."

Mercedes jerked back and glared at Kurt.

"I wouldn't talk like that, Kurt. The human world holds nothing for you - in fact you'd probably get eaten alive. I dare you to try living up there, you wouldn't last." She ended with a fin on her hip.

Kurt flashed her a look of pain. He opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Instead, turned away, took a deep breath and began singing.

_I lie awake again  
>My body's feeling paralyzed<br>I can't remember when  
>I didn't live through this disguise<em>

He turned to face Mercedes.

_The words you said to me  
>They couldn't set me free<br>I'm stuck here in this life I didn't ask for_

He thought of how badly he wanted an escape – any escape. Was all this pain and emptiness all that life had to offer him? Every day just felt like a big lie to him. He felt that there was a big part of his life that he was missing. Something he desperately needed…

_And all these masks we wore  
>We never knew what we had in store<br>Breathe in, breathe out  
>Breathe in, breathe out<em>

Kurt ran his fingers over the shelves of items. He felt the leather spines of the countless books lined up according to size. He caressed the silk scarves, folded neatly. He stared regretfully at the mismatched shoes before gazing up through the holes in the ceiling that brought gentle light into the cave.

_I have to start this over_

He took a deep breath before turning to face her one last time as he brought the song to a close:

_There must be something more…_

They stood looking at each other for a brief moment before Mercedes broke the silence.

"Look, Kurt, I understand that you're unhappy. But I don't think shirking your responsibilities will make anything any easier. I don't want to hear any more talk about being anything other than who you are, okay?"

Kurt considered her words. Maybe he should give up the fantasy. But as he took another look around the cove filled with treasures from the human world, he felt his heart swell with longing.

It was of no use; he just felt like maybe he belonged in their world – even if only for a moment. He would love to just know what it felt like…

He didn't answer her, but gave her a solemn look in return.

She knew their discussion was far from over, but decided to drop it. That is, until they heard a crash from the corner.

Rachel had climbed her way onto a low shelf, hiding behind a snow globe. Somehow she'd stumbled, sending herself and the snow globe falling down onto the floor.

"Ahh!" she cried as she came into contact with the ground and the glass of the globe broke into hundreds of fragments.

Kurt and Mercedes turned with a start, fearing they had been discovered.

Kurt's heart was racing. He saw Rachel dusting herself off and nearly had a heart attack. What if she told his dad? What if she revealed his secret hiding place and got him in even more trouble? What if this meant losing everything he'd carefully accumulated and catalogued? He couldn't even bear to think about it.

Rachel marched up to the pair angrily, already shaking her claws at them.

"You!" she pointed at Kurt. "And you!" she jabbed a claw in Mercedes' direction. "W-what is this? How did you…? I mean…What is going on here?" she yelled.

"Is everything in this cove," she gestured to the thousands of things Kurt had put on display, "from the _human_ world?" Her eyes were almost bugging out of their sockets and she was huffing in fury. "KURT HUMMEL, I COULD KILL YOU MYSELF. WHAT IF YOUR FATHER KNEW ABOUT THIS?" she exploded.

"My father? No no no, Rachel. Please! Please don't tell my dad about this!" Kurt clasped his hands together and begged her. "He would kill me!"

"And you would deserve it, too!" she shouted. "I have half a mind to go straight to him right this instant! You're not supposed to have contact with the human world, let alone have a _shrine_ dedicated to it!"

"Look," Mercedes spoke up, swimming up to Rachel. "You are _not_ going to tell Kurt's dad about this. It's just a harmless collection. He's not trying to hurt anyone – it's just for his own enjoyment." Her voice rang with authority and finality.

"Right, Kurt?" she threw warningly over her shoulder.

But just then Kurt heard a tremendous noise coming from above. A loud rumbling that seemed to be coming from the surface as a shadow passed over the cove.

"Yeah, right… What?" Kurt noncommittally answered before he darted out of the cave and started swimming towards the surface as fast as his fin could carry him.

"What? Where are you going?" Mercedes spluttered before hurrying after him, Rachel in tow.

But Kurt couldn't hear them; he was inches from the surface of the water and he swam quickly until his head broke through the waves at last.

Mercedes swam up behind him and stuck her head out of the water, as did Rachel.

"Kurt, what are you…" her question trailed off as she saw the sleek, white boat floating in of her.

Her expression was one of shock before she turned to Kurt and saw that his eyes were bright with excitement. This all registered in her mind instantly.

"Oh no, Kurt. This is not good. We need to leave now before someone sees -" she started.

But Kurt was already swimming up to the side of the boat. Mercedes looked after him in complete disbelief as she watched him sidle up to the side of the boat where the ladder was.

He reached for the nearest rung before beginning to hoist himself up…

* * *

><p><em>AN: I hope you liked what I did there. The song is "Something More" by Secondhand Serenade, if you care. (I did cut some of it.) It's about to get really good (:_

_**Review for me, you beautiful reader?**__ :D_


	4. First Sight

_A/N: This fic is inspired completely by** Muchacha10's** artwork! You should most definitely, without a doubt go check out her out.. Her work is so beautiful!_

_Let me remind you once more that Blaine and Kurt are written here as older than they're said to be in Glee. I did that because they're both in line for their own thrones and they're talking about marriage and I just think high school age wouldn't really be appropriate. _

* * *

><p>Kurt wasn't even thinking clearly anymore. He was almost desperate for contact with the human world. Maybe that was why he was so obviously disregarding all the ocean laws by reaching up for that ladder. He knew it was a big risk, but his heart was racing and he felt so much more alive than ever before that he couldn't bring himself to care as much as he should.<p>

He heard the other two swimming after him in hopes of catching him, but he was already hoisting himself up the ladder of the small white yacht with all his might. His fin was pretty much dead weight and of no use while climbing up the rungs, but he kept going until his eyes were peaking over the wide deck. A few people walked by near to where he was hidden and as their feet passed by, he ducked down in a reflex. He'd never been this close to any humans before.

All of the people aboard the ship appeared to be all guys and at the moment, they were all singing. They seemed to be wrapping up a song that was unfamiliar to Kurt.

_So raise your glass if you are wrong,_

_In all the right ways,_

_All my underdogs,_

_We will never, be never be anything but loud_

_And nitty gritty, dirty little freaks_

All of the boys were rocking back in forth, noticeably enjoying themselves. Kurt let his eyes pass over all their faces as he tried to determine who was singing the lead. Their voices blended in such perfect harmony, but that lead…his voice was simply flawless. His eyes came to rest on the one standing in the middle of the crowd, seeming to feed off the energy of the others and give it right back to them.

_So raise your glass if you are wrong,_

_In all the right ways,_

_All my underdogs,_

_We will never be, never be anything but loud_

_And nitty gritty, dirty little freaks_

All of the guys were dancing together, not in an organized way, but in a way that showed they were just going with the music.

Kurt only had eyes for the lead singer and noticed the way his hair curled softly on top of his head, the way his eyes were the lightest possible shade of brown, the way he sang as if it were the last song of his life.

_Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass,_

_Just come on and come on and raise your glass_

_Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass for me_

_Just come on and come on and raise your glass…for me_

The song came to a powerful end that sent all the boys into uproarious cheering. A lot of excited high fives and back slaps were passed around and it was clear the group was pleased with their performance.

The lead singer put up his hands to silence the rowdy boys with a smile on his face.

"That was great, you guys," he said in a deep, warm voice. "This has been one of the best birthdays I've ever had. You guys are way too nice to me."

The boys met his short speech with happy laughter.

"Blaine, you spend way too much time cooped up in that castle," a dark haired boy said from nearby.

"Yeah," all the other boys piped up.

A blonde boy patted Blaine on the shoulder and said "You need to get out more often, dude. I mean, you're a prince for God's sake."

Blaine shook his head jokingly. "You say that like it's easy."

The other boys waved his comment away.

"Look," said the first boy again, slinging his arm around Blaine's shoulder, "Just forget about being a prince for the rest of tonight, okay? It's your birthday. Just enjoy it."

Blaine nodded, listening carefully to his words. "You're right, Wes. Forget I even said anything."

Wes smiled and turned to the other boys. "Let's continue the party then! Drinks all around!"

The group cheered in unison before loudly talking all over one another. Blaine detached himself from the rest of the crowd and sat down on a nearby bench close to where Kurt was hiding.

He picked up a guitar and began nonchalantly strumming it, seeming to not be playing anything particular, but more just to give him something to do. A golden retriever came bounding up to him out of no where and playfully scratched at his jeans, wanting attention. Blaine smiled down at his dog and stopped playing for a second to scratch inbetween the dog's ears.

"Oh, Lucky!" He chuckled affectionately as the dog whined a bit.

Kurt was admiring the curve of Blaine's lips, the strong line of his jaw, the white shirt that fit him in all the right places. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't bring himself to stop; the man was stunning.

It was at that moment when Finn decided to fly by. He'd spotted Kurt from where he was circling overhead and decided to come pester him.

"Hi, Kurt!" he squawked loudly. "What are you doing next to this yacht?"

He was practically yelling and Kurt reached out and grabbed his leg, pulling him out of the air and out of sight.

"Be quiet!" Kurt hissed sharply. "Do you want me to get caught?"

Finn's eyes widened in realization

"Oh, yeah," he whispered back. "You're not supposed to be seen by humans, huh? Well this is quite the situation then."

Kurt tried to wave him away, but it was of no use. Finn poked his head over the side of the boat so that his eyes were even with Kurt's, looking across the deck.

"What are we looking at, exactly?" he asked Kurt as his eyes darted across the boat deck.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I was just, er, observing the ways of the humans?" he tried to lie.

Finn looked at him flatly as if to say "_yeah, right_". Finn saw Kurt ogling Blaine, still sitting nearby. He waited for Kurt to give him some sort of explanation. Kurt just sighed contentedly.

"He's very handsome, isn't he?" Kurt asked, tilting his head to the side with a dreamy expression.

He let his eyes roam up and down Blaine's body, completely unashamed. He didn't know who he was or even where he came from – all he knew was that he was perfect. He had a great voice, a lovely personality, and an energy about him that was absolutely infectious.

No, Kurt didn't know him, but he definitely wanted to know more about him. Not to say that the other boys on the boat were unsatisfactory, it's just that Kurt couldn't seem to peel his eyes off of Blaine.

Finn studied Blaine as well and raised his eyebrows.

"You do know that's a guy, right?" he asked, slightly confused.

Kurt shot a death glare back at Finn. "Yes, I'm aware that he's a guy. Do you have a problem with that?"

Finn shook his head, "Nope, none at all. You just never told me…" he trailed awkwardly off.

Kurt sighed deeply. "I haven't told anyone," he admitted quietly. Finn fell into silence as Kurt kept blatantly admiring Blaine.

"Alright, everyone!" called the boy named Wes. "Settle down!" he turned to Blaine. "The Warblers would like to give you a birthday gift - Something worthy enough for your castle," he smirked.

"Yeah," chimed in the blonde boy. "So we all had to chip in." This caused the rest of the group to chuckle. Blaine shook his head.

"Shut up, Jeff," he said jokingly. "Alright, what is it?"

The boys stepped back to reveal something covered in a white sheet. Wes walked up to it and pulled the sheet off cleanly, in one swift motion. Beneath it stood an ornate portrait perched on an easel.

It was very expensive looking and obviously done by a very talented artist. It was a painting of Blaine himself, almost identical to the man Kurt was looking at right now.

Blaine ducked his head in embarrassment.

"You guys," he started, "this is too much. I mean, this must have cost you guys a fortune."

All the guys protested. "Just accept it!" they shouted.

Blaine rolled his eyes in feigned irritation. "It's really great, you guys. I love it," he said, his voice genuine.

He stood back admiring it as Wes came to stand beside him.

"We'd hoped to be giving it to you as a wedding present…" he teased.

The group broke out in low a chorus of "ooooh's". Blaine shook his head wearily and walked towards the side of the ship, visibly less than excited about the change of topic.

Kurt tensed because Blaine was headed right his way. He lowered himself out of view and let one hand go of the ladder, pressing his back as close to the boat as it could go, almost willing himself to become invisible. He heard Blaine and Wes directly overhead and prayed to every deity that ever existed that, whatever happens, they didn't look down.

He heard Blaine let out a heavy sigh of despair.

"Hey, Blaine," prompted Wes. "Are you okay? I'm sorry about teasing you about marriage…"

Blaine cut him off. "It's not that. It's just kind of upsetting because I just had a huge fight with my father over it last night. He's pissed at me because he wanted me to court this princess from a nearby kingdom so that we might join our two lands together…"

He ran his hand through his hair. "Needless to say, it didn't go well. She was beautiful and amazing, but I just felt nothing for her…nothing at all. I couldn't do it, so I let her off the hook and told her it probably wasn't going to work out."

Wes opened his mouth to say something but Blaine plunged ahead.

"My father was more upset than I'd ever seen him. He nearly gave himself a coronary." He leaned against the railing, looking out across the deep blue water, lost in thought. "I know the right person for me is out there somewhere…I just haven't found them yet," he said, with sadness in his eyes.

"Maybe you've just been looking in the wrong places," Jeff said from behind, patting Blaine's back supportively. "I mean, who wants some stuck up princess anyways, right?" he joked lightly.

Blaine laughed along with them, "Yeah, you guys are right. I'll find the right person some day. And, boy, when I do…it'll hit me like lightning right out of the clear blue sky."

Right at that moment, an ear-shattering clap of thunder broke the silent evening and lightning cracked the night sky. The Warblers all looked up in confusion – sure the sky had been cloudy all day, but they hadn't counted on a storm.

All of a sudden, the wind picked up and the choppy waters were becoming more rough by the second. In a matter of minutes, waves were crashing against the sides of the small boat, sending it speeding off course.

Finn squawked as the wind carried him off into the cloudy sky against his will. Kurt tried to reach out and pull him back, but his hands clasped around nothing but air.

His one-handed grip put him in a vulnerable position and it was at that particular moment that a huge wave came crashing against the opposite side of the boat, spilling over onto the deck. The force was enough to send Kurt flying back into the depths of the ocean and far below the boat.

Kurt took a moment to shake himself off before speeding back to the surface. He saw all of the men aboard the ship running around in a hurried panic, trying to regain control of the yacht. But it was of no use, the waters were too strong for the size of the vessel and try as they might to pull up the sails and turn the wheel, their efforts were in vain.

Blaine stood at the steering wheel, shouting orders to everyone. But it was too late; another colossal wave crashed on top of the yacht, sending men scattering everywhere and even throwing some into the water. The power of the wave sent the boat careening straight for a huge cliff of dangerously jagged rocks.


	5. I Had To Save Him

_A/N: I give full credit of my inspiration to **Muchacha10** whose pieces have inspired this fic! If you haven't checked out her deviantart or tumblr page, what in the world is wrong with you?_

_I wasn't sure which song for Kurt to sing later on in this chapter, and I was so fortunate to have a last-minute flash of inspiration a couple of nights ago. I'm pleased with how it's turning out thus far. I really hope you guys like it!_

* * *

><p>There was nothing that could be done to stop the course of the boat. The Warblers shouted in fear and tried to brace themselves for impact. They hit the cliff with so much force that Kurt saw a large crack form its way down the middle of the boat. Almost all of the Warblers were sent crashing into the ocean, frantically splashing around and looking for something to hold on to.<p>

Kurt dove under the water and started swimming quickly towards the boat. He was past thinking rationally; he just had to help somehow…

* * *

><p>Blaine was thrown into the side of the boat and he desperately grabbed a hold of the railing and tried firmly planting himself to the deck. He was almost tossed overboard, but he used all of his might and gripped the railing until his hands turned red from the effort.<p>

Eventually the boat evened out again and Blaine searched frantically through the rain for any signs of his friends. Most of them had been thrown overboard and were yelling from the water.

He ran over to the side of the boat and opened a hidden door, pulling out the emergency bin. He flipped open the lid and took out the inflatable lifeboats. He stepped back and pulled a cord on one that instantly unfolded and inflated itself. He lugged it over the side of the yacht and tossed it towards the panicking boys who were treading water with difficulty.

"Here, guys! Get onto the lifeboats!" he yelled over the wind as he tossed the second one towards the others.

The boys grabbed the boats quickly and clambered onto them.

Blaine looked around urgently to see if anyone was hurt; it looked as if he was the last one on the vessel. He backed up as he prepared to dive into the water himself but was jolted as the crack down the boat widened into a large crevice, sending him stumbling to the floor. He felt a flash of momentary panic as he hit the floor. It was at that moment that he heard barking.

The rain was coming down in sheets now, making it almost impossible to see anything. The barking seemed to be coming from the other half of the yacht.

Blaine pushed up off the deck and turned quickly, his ears being the only thing guiding him. He took a precarious step forward and nearly fell over. His foot met nothing but air and as he looked down he noticed he was dangerously close to the growing gap in the ship. He took a couple of steps back, causing the boat to split completely in two.

His heart was racing, but he kept his determination. It was now or never. He took another step back and launched himself towards the detached half of the yacht. He barely made it, his top half flung across the cracked deck and his feet in the water. Before the water could swallow him whole, he grabbed onto a nearby pole and hoisted himself onto the deck, panting. He looked behind him to see the other half of the yacht slowly sinking into the depths of the water.

He didn't have much time.

He looked around for Lucky and spotted him cowering in a corner, near the bow of the ship.

"Lucky!" he called, running towards him, almost slipping on the slick deck top. "Come here, boy!" he called once more. But the dog refused to move, frozen in fear.

By this time, the boys had organized themselves in the lifeboats, none worse for wear. Nick, a dark haired boy seemed to be paddling one of the small boats towards the half of the yacht still afloat.

"Give him here!" they shouted to Blaine. "We can catch him!"

Blaine nodded and lunged towards Lucky, wrapping his arms around the dog before hastily moving towards the railing to hand him off.

Just before he reached the railing, he felt his foot sink lower and he lost his balance. He'd been running so fast that his sudden halt sent him flying forward and he released Lucky reflexively. The dog went falling into the ocean right before Blaine's eyes. Thankfully, the boys were close enough to scoop the dog out of the water and to safety on the life raft.

Blaine looked down to determine the cause of his fall and saw that his foot was sunken deep into a hole that had formed on the broken deck. In the same instant, he felt the half of the yacht starting to slowly sink, his body weight only pulling it down faster.

He tried to get up, but it was of no use, his foot was stuck. He tried pulling it out, but it was at such an odd angle that he couldn't. His chest tightened in horror as he tried to free himself again, to no avail. The water was coming closer and closer at a rapid pace as the whole half was almost engulfed. He cried out in a full-on panic now, looking for something to grab onto – anything. But there was nothing within his reach.

He looked towards the water, tears of dread streaming down his face, fearing this may be the end. The water that he'd admired earlier was now black and foreboding – waiting to pull him under and claim him as its own. He took a deep breath before he was finally pulled under.

The water closed over his head as the other boys looked on in terror, frozen where they sat in the lifeboats.

Wes dived into the water, reacting quickly. But it was of no use, the water was pitch black. He swam underwater blindly in the direction that Blaine had been, but he could see nothing. He wildly reached his hand out, groping nothingness. He came back up spluttering and yelled at the others

"I can't see anything, he's gone!" he yelled in alarm.

The other boys started yelling in a panic just as another colossal wave came crashing towards them, sending their rafts overturning once more and tossing them into the water again.

Blaine's foot was still stuck in the boat, which was now careening at break-neck speed towards the ocean floor. He flailed his arms and tried to free himself once more before he felt his lungs burning and filling with water.

"_This is really the end_" he thought to himself just before he lost consciousness.

He thought he saw someone swimming towards him. They looked like half fish, half man. But that couldn't be possible. The last of his air supply left his mouth, bubbles escaping Blaine's lips and blocking any vision he possessed. The world went black.

* * *

><p>The tide had taken Kurt further away from the scene, but as soon as he saw Blaine go under with the boat, he dove underneath the water and looked around frantically for his plummeting form. As soon as he spotted the boy, he swam furiously in that direction.<p>

He thought he saw Blaine's eyes flicker towards him before sliding shut. Blaine had stopped struggling and went limp. Kurt swam even faster towards him as he descended, seeing the boy's foot still caught in the deck. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and gave him one strong tug, forcing his foot out of the hole. He swam at break-neck pace towards the surface, desperately hoping he wasn't too late.

The pair emerged from the water, Blaine still unconscious. The waves were still ferociously crashing down around them, making it hard to maneuver the waters. Kurt glanced around frantically, turning in circles and looking for the other boys. But no one was nearby; there was no one else in the water – no boys, no lifeboats, just nothing. They must've been swept far away from the site Kurt realized in a panic.

He gave up searching for help and started lugging Blaine through the water in the direction he thought the nearest shore might be.

It would've been immensely easier to swim underwater and avoid the storm completely, but Kurt knew he couldn't do that with Blaine in tow. It was vital that he kept the other boy's head above the water.

The storm raged all through the night and waves often sent Kurt and Blaine flying backwards. But Kurt was determined and never once loosened his grip on the other boy. He knew he had to be the one to save him. He bowed his head against the strong gusts of wind and tugged Blaine slowly but surely away from the depths of the ocean.

It was almost daybreak when Kurt finally saw a shore ahead of him. It looked to be completely deserted, almost as if not very many humans visited it at all.

A modern looking castle loomed over the beach, on a tall cliff overlooking the shore. The wall facing the ocean seemed to be made completely of glass, as if it was one big window.

Kurt panicked momentarily. What if someone was looking out of that wall towards the beach? They'd see him and then what?

He spotted a patch of beach hidden by some large boulders and dragged Blaine towards it hastily, putting his own head deeper into the water and out of sight.

Finally, he dragged Blaine onto the shore, the waves helping him now instead of hindering him, pushing them towards the sand. Kurt's arms were burning from carrying Blaine through the night and his chest was heaving from the effort. But he managed to tug Blaine up far enough out of the water's reach.

Kurt collapsed on the sand next to Blaine's lifeless form, head spinning from exhaustion. He took a deep breath before sitting up and drawing his attention to Blaine.

He leaned over the other boy who didn't appear to be breathing. He put his hands to Blaine's chest and started pushing on it gently, hoping that he was helping rather than hurting him.

It seemed to take effect after a few minutes, Blaine started coughing a bit, his eyes still shut tight before he started breathing deeper. Kurt listened to his harsh breaths until they slowed down into a relaxed rhythm. Blaine still did not open his eyes.

The sun started rising behind Kurt and he looked towards the small patch of yellow on top of the water, casting upon the ocean a deep orange color. He traced his fingers down Blaine's arm and over his hand. Kurt stared at their touching hands, butterflies in his stomach just from the insignificant contact.

He lightly intertwined Blaine's hand in his own, though Blaine didn't squeeze his hand back. He stared back towards the rising sun and closed his hands, imagining that Blaine was awake and intentionally holding his hand; that they had snuck out together to see the sun rise together after staying up all night and talking about everything and nothing. It was almost real if Kurt closed his eyes.

But of course, it wasn't real. Blaine still lay next to Kurt serenely, his hand limp in Kurt's grasp.

Kurt let go of the other boy's hand and let out a small sob. That was all he wanted and he knew it now. He knew what he'd been missing…but he couldn't have it.

He hastily wiped away his tears, ashamed of his irrational longing. He turned over and leaned over Blaine once more. The other boy moved a bit, but still didn't open his eyes.

Kurt absentmindedly stroked a stray curl out of Blaine's face and silently admired his beauty. He let his fingers stroke the side of Blaine's face and even dared to trace the bottom curve of his lips. He kept his hand on Blaine's cheek as he began to softly sing.

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
>Watch you smile while you are sleeping<br>While you're far away and dreaming  
>I could spend my life in this sweet surrender<br>I could stay lost in this moment forever  
>Where every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure<em>

He smiled down at Blaine and brought his other hand to run his fingers down the boy's arm gently.

_Don't want to close my eyes  
>I don't want to fall asleep<br>Cause I'd miss you babe  
>And I don't want to miss a thing<br>Cause even when I dream of you  
>The sweetest dream will never do<br>I'd still miss you babe  
>And I don't want to miss a thing<em>

He moved his hand from Blaine's arm to his chest, feeling the damp material of his shirt stuck there to his skin. He laid his hand there lightly, feeling Blaine's heartbeat.

_Lying close to you feeling your heart beating  
>And I'm wondering what you're dreaming<br>Wondering if it's me you're seeing...  
><em>

_I just want to stay with you in this moment forever  
>Forever and ever<em>

He cradled Blaine's face between his hands, dreading the moment he'd have to leave. As much as he'd like to stay here with him, he had to face the hard truth that he still had a fin and the beautiful boy lying beside him had two legs. They could never be.

Blaine stirred beneath his touch. His eyes slowly slid open, almost like he was half-awake. He looked up confusedly into Kurt's eyes and gave him a breath-taking smile. Blaine reached up a hand and touched Kurt's cheek He let his palm press into Kurt's skin as Kurt finished singing to him.

_Don't want to close my eyes  
>I don't want to fall asleep<br>And I don't want to miss a thing_

Kurt had his hand on Blaine's waist, stroking the skin exposed between his shirt and his jeans. Blaine seemed to be in a dreamlike state as he continued smiling at Kurt and lifting his other hand to trace from Kurt's shoulder down over his chest.

Kurt sucked in a breath, incredibly overwhelmed by how amazing Blaine's touch made him feel.

He let out a small laugh and said quietly, "Hey."

Blaine smiled even wider. "Hey," he said back softly.

He took his hand of Kurt's chest and rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. He clenched his eyes shut and took in a deep breath, like one waking up from a deep sleep. He didn't appear to realize yet that he was lying beneath someone who wasn't human.

Kurt racked his mind for something intelligent to say but came up with nothing.

"Are you okay?" he asked timidly.

Blaine let out a small groan in response. As Kurt opened his mouth again to say something, he heard a dog barking close by along with about a dozen voices yelling over it.

"Blaine! Are you here? Blaine, where are you?" came the frantic calls.

Kurt froze in panic before registering that he needed to leave. _Now_.

Blaine was still covering his eyes and Kurt stole one last glace at him before crawling quickly back towards the water. When he was close enough, he dived in and swam just beneath the waves until he was a safe distance away.

From underwater, he spotted a nearby rock and quickly swam towards it, poking his head out of the water and peeking around the boulder tentatively.

He saw the ragged-looking Warblers crowing around Blaine, all looking extremely relieved. He too, felt comforted that someone had found Blaine to take him to safety. But he also felt a pang of hurt in his chest. What if this was the last time he ever saw Blaine? He didn't even get to say goodbye…

Still he looked on as the Warblers knelt down next to Blaine.

* * *

><p>Blaine opened his eyes once more, his vision blurry. He felt like he'd just been run over by a mob of trucks. Each breath he took was painful. He looked up towards the sky.<p>

Wait, hadn't there been a boy here just a second ago? And that voice…he'd heard it even before he opened his eyes. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard.

When he'd opened his eyes for the first time, he'd seen a boy leaning over him, the rising sun behind him casting a bright glow around his figure. His voice made Blaine feel warm all over and he'd unconsciously touched the singing boy's face, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

When the mysterious boy had stopped singing, he had spoken to Blaine. Even his speaking voice was angelic - of that, Blaine was sure. But Blaine had started feeling weary all of a sudden and closed his eyes. Now the boy was gone and there was no one beside him anymore. He squinted, searching around. Maybe that boy was still nearby…He had to thank him.

But all he saw was the Warblers running up to him, their feet padding softly on the sand.

"Blaine!" they all shouted happily.

"Oh my god, you survived! How?" asked Wes.

Nick checked all of Blaine's vital signs quickly.

"He looks like he's perfectly fine," he informed the others. "Though I'm sure you're not feeling too hot, right, Blaine?"

Blaine shook his head, his mind was still murky and all he wanted to do was fall asleep. Surely his dreams would make more sense than this.

Lucky ran up to his owner, whimpering softly and licking his face affectionately. Blaine laughed and wiped the drool off of his cheek before scratching the dog between the ears.

"I'm okay, Lucky," he said softly. The dog barked happily in response.

A few boys grabbed Blaine's arms and raised him up off of the sand. Blaine stood there wearily before feeling like he was falling. The other boys quickly grabbed him before he stumbled over.

"Whoa whoa whoa, Blaine. We've got you," said Jeff from his right side.

They tried to steady him, but Blaine tried to break free with what little strength he had left.

"How did you guys find me?" he asked.

Wes gave him a small smile. "The storm washed us up here and we hoped that if you'd survived, it would've sent you this way too. You're so lucky you made it out of that alive! We thought for sure you were a goner!" All the other boys nodded solemnly.

"I was…I was saved," Blaine said.

"What?" all the boys said in confusion.

Blaine tried to explain. "A boy…a boy saved me."

The Warblers exchanged glances as if they were questioning his sanity.

"He saved me from the shipwreck…he brought me here. He – he sang to me."

All the boys were staring at him in disbelief.

"He had the most _beautiful_ voice I've ever heard," Blaine sighed. "And he was here!" he spun on his heel, almost losing his balance again from the sudden motion. The boys steadied him once more.

"He should be around here somewhere…" he looked along the stretch of beach.

The group looked around and scanned the shores as well.

"Blaine," David said. "There's no one here…"

All the boys agreed quietly. Wes took charge and supported Blaine's weight.

"Look, you've been through a tough ordeal. You were probably hallucinating or something." he said, grabbing Blaine around the shoulders.

Blaine opened his mouth to protest, but Wes gave him a warning look. He shut his mouth, still refusing to believe it was just some illusion of his.

"Come on, let's get you to the castle," Wes said with finality as Jeff came up on Blaine's other side and helped Wes guide him towards the glass-walled castle atop the cliff.

* * *

><p>Kurt watched as they all climbed away, trying to keep his eyes on Blaine for as long as possible. As they walked further and further away from where he was hidden, he gained courage and climbed on top of the rock instead of hiding behind it. He rested his head in his hands dreamily as he was splayed on top of the rock, his fin rippling behind him.<p>

The funny thing was, if any of the boys had bothered to turn around, even just for one second, they would've seen him. But none of them did.

He intently watched them until they disappeared, relishing in a moment that was purely his own. He sighed deeply, full of sadness and regret before slipping quietly back into the water, as if he'd never been there at all.

He started swimming slowly back towards his own castle, mind full of nothing but Blaine.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice two eels hidden in some coral, watching him intently as he swam away, identical smirks on their faces.

* * *

><p>Somewhere deep in the ocean, Sue let out a blood-curtlingly evil laugh that sent all nearby fish ducking for cover. At last, the pieces were coming together…<p> 


	6. Kurt In Love?

_A/N: I owe every ounce of my inspiration to the beyond fabulous Muchacha10 and her outstanding art. _

_Yet another song in this chapter to replace "Under the Sea". It's not as upbeat, and it's a little more personal for the person singing it, but I worked hard finding a song that I thought could replace that one and give it some deeper meaning. As always, I hope you enjoy this (:_

* * *

><p>Sue watched the vision of Kurt swimming on her mirror with an evil smile. Santana and Brittany had just witnessed the little prince <em>saving a human<em>. Sue let out a small chuckle to herself.

Now he was just making it _too _easy.

She'd seen the whole thing: how he pulled the human to safety, how he'd sung to him on the beach, how he'd watched longingly as a group of men took the other away. She could tell just by looking at his face that he was head over fin in love with whoever that guy was – it was really none of Sue's concern.

She brought a hand thoughtfully to her chin and began pacing back and forth within her cave, eyes still locked on the mirror. Now, she didn't have to necessarily dispose of Kurt, per say, or else she would've done it already. No, assassination wasn't the key – that would just have the royal guard all over her. But, if she got rid of Kurt _permanently_ in some other way, then it was fair game, wasn't it?

If Kurt was to somehow _mysteriously_ become human and wooed this prince fellow and they _fell in love_, then Kurt would want to stay human forever – something Sue could easily arrange. Then he'd be out of the water, no longer heir to the most sought after throne under the sea, and there'd be nothing ol' mighty King Burt could do about it. Not if he saw that his son was happy and better off.

She rubbed her tentacles together in anticipation. Then poor Burt would be just simply _heart-broken_, leaving him incredibly vulnerable. And without Kurt to take his place, and if she planned it just so, she could take over the throne easily. And an added bonus would be that Kurt had the best voice in that darned glee club that Sue hated so passionately.

She just couldn't stand it when they threw charity concerts and got the attention of the whole kingdom. Without one of their star singers, the club could be easily destroyed. Or maybe she could take over the club and force them to be her minions – she hadn't decided yet. Either way, it was a win-win.

Then if Kurt, by some slip of fate failed to make the prince fall in love with him, Sue could resort to holding him hostage until King Burt handed over the crown and the trident. But she didn't want to do that, it seemed too messy. She'd rather Kurt just married the prince and went away, leaving the ocean to her.

Yes, she'd arrange for this to happen very soon indeed…

* * *

><p>Burt knocked precariously on Kurt's bedroom door, knowing that his son was probably still upset with him about the day before. He cracked open the door slowly.<p>

"Kurt?" he asked into the seemingly empty room.

He saw Kurt sitting at his vanity – a vanity he specially requested – and was pulling a comb through his light brown hair, smiling at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't appear to notice his father in the doorway and was singing happily to himself while admiring his face at every angle.

Burt thought he looked oddly cheerful this morning and cleared his throat. Kurt turned around, not even seeming to be angry that Burt was in his room without permission – something he usually hated and threw a fit about.

"Oh hi, Dad," Kurt greeted in a chipper voice. "How are you on this beautiful morning?" he asked before lithely swimming over to where his dad stood in the doorway. "Doesn't today just feel like a good day?" Kurt asked when his father didn't say anything, but instead was looking down at him curiously.

"I just think that something about today is very special, don't you think?" he said with a wide grin.

Burt raised his eyebrows, but Kurt just wore a sort of goofy, content expression, clearly unbothered that his dad hadn't even said a word yet.

"Yes…" Burt said carefully. "It is a lovely morning," he agreed. "What are your plans for the day, Kurt?" he asked. "I don't want to hear about any more shenanigans and fuss about the _human world,_" he warned his son, resentment in his voice.

"Oh, Dad. You're so silly sometimes!" Kurt laughed. "The glee club has a meeting today, so I was going to by there and then maybe hang with Mercedes before coming home. Are you satisfied?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

Burt nodded his head gravely, "That should be fine, I guess…"

"Great!" Kurt said with a smile before giving his dad a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Bye dad, love you! Don't work too hard while I'm away!" he tossed over his shoulder as he quickly swam towards the castle gates.

Burt stared after his sons shrinking form until he was out of sight with a perplexed expression on his face.

"_No_," he thought to himself. "_It couldn't be…could it_?"

He thought about how unusually bubbly Kurt had been this morning and there was no doubt about it in his mind.

"_Kurt's…in love."_

Burt had to smile at that. He couldn't wait to find out who the lucky mermaid was.

He moved out of his son's room and to the throne room, much more happy than when he'd arrived.

* * *

><p>Kurt sat on a smooth rock in the self-proclaimed Glee Club Hall. It looked like almost everyone was there: Rachel was standing in front behind a music stand trying to look important, Artie – a small seahorse – was looking over some sheet music, Tina – a pretty mermaid, small for her age – was silently singing some scales to herself while Mike Chang – the only other merman – sat silently, watching her. There was Quinn, a beautiful fan-tailed fish, also perched on a rock, her lovely tail flitting behind her.<p>

Sam, a medium-sized trout was floating nearby, shooting looks at Quinn every now and then. Next to him was Puck, a dark sting ray. He always had his stinger ready to trip up his friends when they were off guard.

And there was Santana and Brittany, sitting together at the back of the group, looking suspicious as always and talking silently to one another; Nothing out of the ordinary here.

Kurt couldn't help but admire the diversity within the glee club. Most other glee clubs from around there were composed only of mermaids or merman – no other fish allowed. But when he'd wanted to form a group, he knew that he needed the best voices, not just some club based off of exclusivity. It was for that reason why most of the ocean marveled at their little group, admiring the different voices. It gave them a definite edge in competitions.

Kurt turned to Mercedes who was swimming up to him.

"Hey," he greeted her cheerfully.

She didn't return his smile, but gave him a stony glare instead.

"Kurt," she whispered angrily. "What _happened_ to you last night? We couldn't find you again and we had to tell your dad that you were off being upset – We didn't even know where you were!" Her voice was sharp, but her eyes were full of worry.

"Listen," Kurt whispered back, glad that everyone else was talking now so that they couldn't easily be overheard. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to freak out."

Mercedes eyed his warily. "I don't like where this is going…"

Kurt motioned her to listen to him. "Look…I…I-I saved Blaine from that shipwreck."

Mercedes looked like she was about to yell so Kurt clamped his hand over her mouth and gave her a wide-eyed plea before releasing her again.

She looked positively murderous so Kurt plowed on before she could get a word in edgewise.

"He was going to _die_, Mercedes. I couldn't let that happen, so I just took him to the nearest shore, okay? He wasn't even conscious."

She seemed to relax a bit at that, but only by a fraction.

"I couldn't just let him drown…he's so – he's so amazing." Kurt sighed to himself, a dreamy expression on his face. "You know what?" he asked, perking up noticeably. "I need to see him again. I'll just head back to the beach where I left him…he might be looking around there for me again. And I'll just stay in the water so he won't see my fin…and maybe we can talk…and -"

Mercedes cut him off quickly. "Kurt, that is NOT a good idea. And I better not hear about you doing something as foolish and dangerous as that. No matter how much you like this guy, or how much you want to be with him, you can't. It's dangerous and it's forbidden. I won't let you do that." She glared at him until he sank back into his seat dejectedly.

Rachel cleared her throat at the two. "Is there something wrong, Mercedes? You look a little upset."

Mercedes shook her head.

"No, I'm not okay." She turned to the rest of the glee club. "I'm mad because Kurt here has an obsession with the human world."

The inhabitants of the room were stunned into silence. They all wore looks of shock as they turned to face the pair. Kurt just stared, mouth agape in disbelief.

Mercedes raised her eyebrows. "It's for your own good, Kurt." She turned back to the rest of the shocked group and said, "I've been upset about it for a while and I was wondering if I could sing a little solo that I've prepared so that Kurt knows how I feel."

Rachel nodded and beckoned her to the front of the room and Mercedes took a deep breath.

_Hey you  
>So you never really found your way<br>Stay true  
>Did you ever make it through today<em>

She turned to Kurt and sang to him directly, trying to convey herself to him.

_Can't you see  
>I beg and plead<br>Cause when your eyes light up the skies at night  
>I know you're gonna find your way back to me<em>

Kurt looked downcast, ashamed of himself for making Mercedes feel that she had to go this far to get his attention. He never wanted to hurt her, he just wanted to find something for himself. But he forced himself to listen as her voice filled the room.

_And if you hear me there's not much to say  
>There's gotta be a better way<em>

The other members of the group had joined her and were now harmonizing easily with her as she continued to sing.

_Can't you see  
>I beg and plead<br>Cause when the lights go out tonight  
>I know you're never gonna find your way<em>

_If it's me_  
><em>That you don't need<em>  
><em>That when the lights go out tonight<em>  
><em>I know you're never gonna find your way<em>

She turned back to Kurt again as the other singers backed off into more quiet melodic tones, supporting her voice as the song came to a gentle close.

_If you pace around the world 'til you're with me  
>And when your eyes light up the skies at night<br>I know you're gonna find your way back to me_

Kurt gave her a half-smile to show that he'd forgiven her. He opened his arms and swam up to her and gave her a hug as the rest of the group burst out into applause.

"That was fantastic, Mercedes!" Rachel said, "Very emotional. I approve. Your voice is just wonderful." She turned her attention to the rest of the club.

"Some of you were a little off, so maybe we should work on listening to one another and doing a few scale exercises!" she said with entirely too much enthusiasm.

The rest of the group wasn't as excited as she was and most of them let out groans. Kurt rolled his eyes at Mercedes and she sighed in exasperation.

"Hey," she whispered in Kurt's ear, "I have something that might cheer you up. But I'm only giving it to you if you tell me that I'm right and humans are totally lame."

Kurt laughed, "Yeah yeah, you're right," he fibbed to appease her. "Now show me!"

Mercedes motioned him to be quiet and waited until Rachel was busy going through her sheet music when she tugged on Kurt's arm and pulled him towards the door. They quietly darted through it and swam away.

As soon as they were far enough away, Kurt started giggling.

"I can't believe you just made me ditch Glee Club. This had better be good," he joked.

"If it keeps you underwater and happy at the same time, I'll be fine," she answered him.

They swam away from the kingdom and towards the hidden cave.

"Wow, I'm really in suspense right now," Kurt marveled. "Seriously, what is this?"

She merely led him within the cave he knew all too well.

His curious smile vanished and morphed into a look of disbelief as soon as he saw what was sitting in front of him. He drew in a sharp breath trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

* * *

><p><em>AN: The song I used in this chapter is called "Back to Me" by The All-American Rejects. _


	7. The Breaking Point

_A/N: The writer within me has been inspired by Muchacha10's mind-blowing artwork. Seriously, go check out her amazing deviantart and tumblr pages. You will not be disappointed._

* * *

><p>Rachel looked up from her sheet music as she heard a noise in the direction of the door.<p>

Strange…no one was there. But she looked back to the group and saw that Kurt and Mercedes were mysteriously absent.

"_Oh no_," she groaned inwardly. "_King Burt is going to kill me_" she fretted.

She put on a calm façade as she looked from the empty seats back to the glee club. They looked at her expectantly.

"You know what?" she said with a smile plastered on her face, "That's good enough for today; we'll just meet again tomorrow, alright?"

The group shrugged and agreed, hurriedly heading towards the exits until Rachel was completely alone. She was having a mini panic attack when a small goldfish swam up to her.

Rachel let out a gasp of surprise.

"Oh my gosh, Becky!" She shook her head, "You scared me! How can I help you?"

Becky was the official royal messenger for King Burt, so if she was searching for Rachel, chances were she was being called upon.

Becky cleared her throat importantly. "His Royal Highness, King Burt, requests an audience with you immediately. He says it's about the prince and they he needs to talk to you as soon as possible." She gave Rachel a tiny salute before swimming away quickly.

Rachel's heart stopped and her face was frozen in a mask of fear. She'd overheard Kurt and Mercedes' conversation earlier and had a terrible sinking feeling in her gut that King Burt knew as well.

"He knows…" she said quietly to herself, a shiver of dread running through her body.

* * *

><p>Mercedes watched as Kurt's eyes took in every inch of the portrait sitting before him. He looked so excited that she was afraid his eyes might pop right out of his head.<p>

Kurt was slack-jawed and swam cautiously up to the picture, which was standing in the center of the cove – easel and all. This was the first time he'd gotten an up-close look at the extremely life-like portrait of Blaine. The artist certainly was talented because they'd captured the exact shade of Blaine's eyes – brown, but with flecks of gold. They'd drawn his curls dark and falling just perfectly atop of his head. He reached out a shaky hand to run his fingers along where Blaine's cheek was painted, remembering how it felt to actually touch his warm skin as he sat on the beach with him.

His breath hitched just at the mere memory of it. He desperately longed to go back to that moment, even though he knew he couldn't.

In the portrait, Blaine's expression was serious, but _boy_ did he look handsome and strong.

Kurt moved back a bit to admire the picture at a different angle. He couldn't help but break out in a huge grin before he attacked Mercedes with a hug.

"Where did you find this?" he asked excitedly. "How did you bring it here?"

Mercedes laughed and pushed Kurt playfully off of her.

"Calm down, Kurt. I was there when you momentarily lost your mind and were looking at the yacht, remember? I was beneath the water when the boat started sinking and I saw the picture floating away. I just saw where it landed and I went back to find it earlier this morning because I knew you'd probably want it, you creeper."

Kurt rolled his eyes jokingly at his friend.

"Well you were right, it looks perfect here! And he's just so handsome…" he trailed off getting lost in Blaine's eyes once more.

He swam around the cove gleefully, pleased with the new addition.

* * *

><p>Rachel was giving herself a pep talk as she tried to prolong her walk into the throne room for as long as possible.<p>

"He doesn't necessarily know anything," she muttered quietly. "Maybe he just wants to congratulate me on doing such a fine job where Kurt is concerned." She shook her head, not even bothering to consider that long-shot of a scenario.

"Okay, well there's no need to panic. It's not necessarily a bad thing that he wants to see me…" she trailed off into silent panic once more.

She'd finally reached the throne room where King Burt was sitting calmly on the throne, twirling his trident in his hand.

"_Well he seems to be in a good mood,_" Rachel thought as she started the long walk towards the throne.

When she finally reached the throne, she bowed deeply out of respect.

"Becky said you sent for me, your majesty?" she asked formally.

Burt nodded solemnly. "Yes, I wanted to ask you something about Kurt."

She gulped and tried to hide her shaking knees. "Kurt, your majesty? What about Kurt?"

She tried to flash him an innocent smile, but it came out as more of a painful grimace. Burt took no notice of her struggle and smiled down at her.

"I know you've been keeping something from me, Rachel. If you're following Kurt all hours of the day, you know where he's been going…who he's been seeing," he hinted slyly.

Rachel's mind flashed to last night when she'd seen Kurt mooning over the human prince from where she and Mercedes floated in the water. Her eyes bulged slightly in panic.

"I don't know what you mean, sir," she said stiffly.

Burt nodded knowingly. "Sure you don't, Rachel. I saw Kurt this morning acting…well, acting a little peculiar."

Rachel swallowed nervously.

"Peculiar?" she repeated.

"Yes, Rachel, peculiar. You know: singing to himself, seeming to be in an unusually good mood?"

Rachel nodded noncommittally, hoping he'd get to the point.

"I'll get straight to it then," Burt said after a pause. "Who is Kurt in love with, Rachel?" He gave her a hard-pressed stare.

Rachel whimpered to herself.

"_I_ _can't tell him, I can't tell him, I can't tell him_" she told herself over and over again. But then she met his eyes and she could tell he was serious.

She let out a cry of frustration. "Okay, you caught me!" she admitted, Burt nodding at her words.

"I always do," he said.

She ignored him and continued ranting.

"I tried to stop him, really I did! I mean, I told him not to that it was dangerous! And, I swear, your highness, I told him to stay away from that human! Then he saved him and brought him to the shore and I told Kurt to just forget about him altogether -"

Burt glared furiously down at Rachel before shouting, "Who said anything about humans? He went to see a _MAN_?"

Rachel opened and closed her mouth in shock. So he didn't know after all. Which meant…he certainly knew now.

She started to back away slowly, giving the angry king some space. But she wasn't quick enough, he scooped her up in his hand and brought her to eye-level.

"Tell me what you know. NOW," he ordered.

* * *

><p>Kurt was still admiring the portrait of Blaine. It was so many levels of perfection and it was standing right in front of him, he still couldn't quite believe it. He made a frame with his hands and held it out in front of him, squinting as he looked through it.<p>

"I mean, really," he said to Mercedes for what was conceivably the hundredth time, "It really is flawless."

She just laughed and rolled her eyes in response.

He sidled up against the picture and asked her, "So do we make a good looking couple?"

He struck a pose as if Blaine was looking over his shoulder.

"Yes, Kurt," Mercedes said. "you make a beautiful couple. You'd make beautiful babies together," she teased.

Kurt spun around happily, unwilling to take his eyes off of Blaine's picture for even a second.

It was then that he heard someone clearing their throat in a displeased way. He heard Mercedes let out a gasp of horror before he even dared to turn around. That sounded an awful lot like his…

"Dad?" Kurt asked, spinning around, his eyes wide with alarm.

He tried to shield the portrait from his father's view. All the blood had drained from Kurt's face as he looked at his dad towering over him menacingly. Burt's expression was hard and he was breathing heavily, as if he were trying to control his anger.

Burt gestured with his trident.

"What. Is. All. This?" he asked quietly.

Kurt laughed nervously. "It's, uh, it's just m-my collection, Dad."

Burt just narrowed his eyes even more.

"_Collection_?" he hissed. "These things belong to HUMANS!" he was full on yelling at his son. Kurt cowered in fear and backed up until he was up against the portrait.

"What did I tell you about going to the surface again? Do you want to be seen? Do you want us to be discovered? You dared to SAVE a human?"

Kurt interrupted. "But Dad, he was going to die!"

Burt scoffed in disgust. "Ask me if it makes any difference! One less human won't change the world!" He face was red with anger as he continued yelling. "Kurt, you've disappointed me for the last time. I'm sorry, son. This is my only choice."

He pointed his trident towards a wall of the cave and it emitted a loud blast as everything crashed down off of the wall and spontaneously blew up. Scraps of cloth and shards of glass flew everywhere. Kurt ducked his head before racing towards his father.

"Dad, don't! STOP!"

But it was too late. The trident let out another powerful blast as it took out the opposite wall.

Falling glass was cutting into Kurt's arms and he saw little wisps of his blood mixing in with the water around him. He shielded his eyes before physically reaching up and pulling on his father's arm, trying to restrain him from the last thing standing: the portrait.

"No!" Kurt cried. "_Please!_"

But his pleas only encouraged Burt to aim his weapon straight for the portrait standing amid the mass of broken artifacts. With one swift motion, a last blast hit the picture square in the middle and the canvas split into hundreds of scraps now floating down on Kurt.

Mercedes looked on in shock as Kurt fled from the cave, swimming as fast as his fin could carry him. She didn't hesitate to follow him, leaving the furious king alone in the cave.

* * *

><p>Burt took a few deep breaths before really looking at how much damage he'd caused. The cave was a total loss, showered with debris. Maybe that wasn't the best way to handle it…But Kurt had left him no other choice.<p>

Rachel stood, cowering behind a rock and she silently snuck out of the cave in the direction that Kurt had went. Burt took one last look at the ruined cave before wearily heading back towards the castle.

* * *

><p>Kurt flung himself facedown on a smooth rock, shoulders heaving from how hard he was crying. Mercedes caught up to him and touched his shoulder lightly.<p>

"Kurt, are you okay?"

Kurt kept on sobbing into his arms.

"No," he whispered simply.

Rachel had finally found the pair and timidly walked up to Kurt.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. He forced me tell him. I-I didn't _want_ to…"

Kurt just waved her away, his breaths stuttering from crying so much.

"J-j-just go a-away," he managed to choke out. "_Both of you_," he whispered before ducking his head down once more.

Rachel opened her mouth to say something else, but Mercedes shot her a look to be quiet. The two exchanged sad glances and swam away, feeling helpless.

Kurt let out another shaky sob before realizing he was alone. He tried to calm himself down and wiped the tears off of his face with an unsteady hand. His breathing was still uneven and he hiccupped a bit before hearing movement behind him.

He turned around quickly, face still tear-streaked. Out of a patch of seaweed emerged Santana and Brittany, smirking at Kurt as if they knew something he didn't.

He stiffened in a mix of shock and embarrassment. What were they even doing here?

He wiped at his face quickly once more as he asked aloud, "Why are you here?"

They exchanged mischievous grins before swimming up to Kurt.

"We know everything," Santana stated matter-of-factly.

Brittany laughed, "We know all about Prince Blaine…"

"How you saved his life," Santana said.

"How you _love_ him," Brittany nodded. "And we know all about your little collection that Daddy just destroyed."

Kurt's heart clenched as he relived the painfully fresh memories.

"So?" he said bitingly. "What's your point? So you know, big freaking deal."

Santana shook her head. "You have _got_ to calm down, okay? Our point is that we know how you can fix it."

"Yeah," Brittany interjected. "We know how you can escape from this place and get your Prince. Kind of like having your cake and getting to eat it, too." She nodded wisely.

Kurt considered this for a moment. There had to be a catch somewhere, didn't there?

"…How?" he asked slowly after a long pause; a look of skepticism in his eyes.

"One word," said Santana with a curl of her lip. "Sue."

Kurt's eyes widened in shock; Everyone under the sea knew about Sue and the magical powers she possessed. It was also no secret that she was banished on grounds of trying to overtake the kingdom. He shook his head reflexively,

"No!" he shouted unnecessarily. "No way, you guys. I know we're in glee club together and we're cool and all that, but just no."

They shrugged simultaneously.

"Hey," Santana said. "It's not my problem, so I don't really care at all. You could've been human, Kurt. You could've had your man. But I guess you don't want to even give it a try…"

She looked at Brittany and turned around, starting to swim away. Brittany looked at Kurt once more before turning around to follow Santana slowly.

Kurt thought about it for a minute. He thought about Blaine's beautiful eyes looking into his own. He thought of the way Blaine's hand felt on his chest and the way he smiled up at Kurt. He remembered the electric feeling he got when they were together for that brief time…Maybe it was worth it. After all, his home held no interest for him anymore.

"Wait!" he called after them. "I'll go with you," he said firmly, standing his own ground.

The two eels exchanged satisfied smiles and nodded once to acknowledge him.

"Follow us," they said in unison as they led him far away from the safety of the kingdom.


	8. Now or Never

_A/N: As always, I owe all of my inspiration to Muchacha10 and her lovely Klaine drawings. She's fantastic! Go check out her deviantart and tumblr pages already!_

* * *

><p>Rachel was pacing back and forth while Mercedes watched her. She was worrying out loud.<p>

"Oh my gosh, Kurt was really upset, wasn't he? I didn't mean to let it slip, but the King was intimidating and I was so sure he already knew. It was like I wasn't even thinking anymore, I was just babbling and I couldn't stop myself -"

Mercedes raised her eyebrows.

"Kind of like right now?" she asked sarcastically.

Rachel clamped a claw over her own mouth as if she hadn't even realized she was talking.

Mercedes rolled her eyes.

"Look, we just have to let Kurt calm down. I mean, that was really ugly back there and he just needs to let out his frustration. Just watch, he'll come to his senses. Just you wait…" she trailed off as a shadow passed over them ominously.

The pair of them looked up to see Kurt passing overhead, led by Santana and Brittany.

Mercedes narrowed her eyes as Rachel let out a gasp. This was definitely not good - anything involving those two eels was bound to be bad news.

Mercedes shot Rachel an urgent look and beckoned her to follow them. They quickly swam close to the ocean floor, following the shadows and making sure not to be seen.

* * *

><p>Kurt held his head up highly, even though inside he was terrified. His brain was telling him to turn around and head straight back home as fast as his fin could carry him. But his heart longed for a change - a change he couldn't make tensed his body, trying to hide the fact that his hands were trembling from fear. No, this was something he had to do for himself.<p>

He kept his eyes locked straight ahead, following Brittany and Santana's every move as they headed further and further away from what was familiar.

As they swam deeper into the open ocean, even the surroundings seemed to be warning signs. The water got darker even though it wasn't even night time yet and Kurt felt a shiver go down his spine as he felt the sea dropping in temperature.

Kurt felt a tear run silently down his face. How had his life come to this? How was he now leaving behind all he knew and everyone in his life without a backwards glance? He wiped the tear away quickly as he thought to himself bitterly.

"_It's because no one cares about me or what I want. This might be the only way for me to…_" To what? To find peace? To gain something? To be happy? He didn't even know the answer anymore; all he knew was that he couldn't turn back now even if he wanted to – which he didn't.

The odd looking trio came up to what had to be the scariest looking cave Kurt had ever seen. Just the entrance looked like a beast that was going to swallow him whole: stalagmite and stalactites jutting out sharply from all angles. They resembled frightening teeth around the mouth of the cave just waiting to gobble him up. Though his heart was pounding in his chest, Kurt never wavered. He had to stay strong no matter what.

Santana and Brittany didn't even flinch, obviously used to these surroundings and seeming completely unbothered as to how the newcomer might take it. They emerged into the center of the cave, which was lit only by a few glowing crystals mounted on the walls – just enough light to see by but not enough to take in the whole room.

Kurt squinted, his eyes not adjusted to the darkness yet. The first thing he saw were tentacles wriggling their way towards him out of the darkness. Then a pitch black body before Sue's face came into sight. She wore an evil smirk as she narrowed her eyes at him.

An off laugh escaped her throat as she gestured in what was supposed to be a warm way.

"Kurt!" she exclaimed as if they were old friends rather than two archenemies coming face-to-face for the first time. "I've been expecting you!"

Kurt raised his eyebrows, confused.

"You have?" he asked.

Sue let out another forced laugh. "Of course I have, my boy! Did you think that these two," she gestured towards Santana and Brittany offhandedly, "invited you here out of _the goodness of their hearts_? Ha! Please!"

She rolled her eyes and moved closer to Kurt, throwing an arm around his shoulder and guiding him further way from the entrance of the cave.

"No, no, no, my boy. I've been watching you for some time now."

Kurt looked at her suspiciously. "You've been _watching_ me?" He crossed his arms defiantly. "More like _keeping tabs_ on me. You're probably just waiting to attack me or something."

Sue shook her head as if that were the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

"You've got it all wrong, Kurt. I like you." She slugged him lightly on the arm. "You're different. And believe me, I know what it's like to be different."

She wandered a little ways away from him, facing the wall, her words seeming to actually come from an honest place.

"I know what it feels like not to belong anywhere – to want something more. I know what it's like when no one will listen to you." She turned back to him abruptly, pulling out of her own thoughts. "I actually want to help you. Really, I do," she added when a skeptical look passed over his face once more.

"I know about Blaine," she said. "I know that you watched him on the boat. I know you have strong feelings towards him and I know that's why you saved him. I even know that you sang to him."

Kurt's mouth opened in shock as she spoke. That stuff was supposed to be private! But Sue kept right on speaking.

"And I saw how he reacted when you sang – he was totally enraptured just by the sound of your voice!" She seemed amused with the whole situation.

Kurt flushed at the memory.

"But of course," Sue went on, "you don't need to hear from _me_ that your voice is amazing. The whole kingdom knows. Anyways, I genuinely want to help you out here. I think with a little bit of my potion making skills and your talent, you can woo the socks off of that human prince. Once I turn you human, he won't stand a chance against your advances."

Kurt's mouth was agape at the word "human." _Human_... Sue could give him the chance to be _human_. Then he and Blaine would actually be equals. There'd be no holding him back. If he did this, he could really and truly have a shot with Blaine.

Kurt became slightly wary. "What's the catch?" he asked after a considerable pause on his part.

Sue chuckled darkly. "Catch? Why does there always have to be a catch? I just want you to win over your man."

She waved a hand towards her mirror and it shimmered briefly before turning into a vision of Blaine sitting on a rock near the stretch of beach that Kurt had left him. It looked as if he was waiting for someone.

"You see?" Sue asked, clearly enjoying herself. "He's been sitting there ever since you saved him, expecting you to turn up." She waved her hand once more and the vision disappeared. "It's cute in a sickening way really, but who am I to judge what's right and what's wrong?"

Kurt seemed to be thinking it over intently.

"Well, let's just say, hypothetically, that I do take you up on this offer of yours…How does it work?" he questioned her, arms still crossed.

"It's simple," Sue said with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "I give you your legs and you go up to the surface. With my potion, you get five whole days with your dashing prince. That's f_ive days'_ worth of opportunities to get him falling head over heels for you. If you want to permanently stay human, he has to fall in love with you."

Kurt looked hopeful and worried at the same time.

Sue clarified, "Humans nowadays have such vague notions of love. In fact, they throw the word around like it means nothing at all. What I'm talking about here is _true_ love. There can't be a single doubt in his mind, or else you won't stay human for long. He has to give you the kiss of true love. But like I said, humans have really taken the idea of romance downhill. A kiss nowadays barely means anything – which is why it has to be the kiss of true love. Are you getting all this?" she asked Kurt.

He nodded eagerly, just wanting her to go on.

"Good." She said before moving on, "So if he doesn't give you the kiss of true love, the potion will slowly start to wear off towards the end of the five days I'll have allotted you. The second you get your fin back, it's game over. You won't get another chance. Simply put, you will belong to me."

Kurt let out an involuntary gasp of shock. "H-has that ever happened before?" he asked her.

"Well, I can't lie to you," she said, putting her hands behind her back and beginning to pace. "Some people have failed to hold up their end of the deal…and well…I had to lock them up."

"Lock them up?" Kurt cried. "What do you mean?" he spun around wildly, wondering if he'd passed by a set of bars and missed them or something.

"Calm down, Porcelain," Sue said, referencing Kurt's smooth, pale skin. "I keep my prisoners in the back," she jerked a thumb towards a deep black crevice Kurt hadn't noticed that was clear on the other side of the cave.

Now that he noticed it, he swam slowly towards it, listening for any signs of life. As he got nearer, he heard crying and some moans as if someone was in pain. He jerked back and turned away from the darkness.

"Oh my god…" he whispered.

"Now now, Kurt. I have every confidence in you! I _warned _those merfolk that what they wanted probably wouldn't work out. But you know how it is: when someone wants something they will go to any lengths to get it. I gave them fair warning and they ignored me. Now they have to serve the time." She steered him away from the dark pathway.

"You, on the other hand, have just seen the proof that Blaine is pining over you. Even if he doesn't know it yet and is just telling himself that he wants to merely _thank_ you. Clearly the boy has got it bad or he wouldn't be sitting on that beach, and you and I both know it."

Kurt silently considered her words as she went on.

"I really think that you can do this, Kurt. And I want this for you, honestly I do." Her eyes bore into him as they filled with genuine truth. She began to sing with a steady voice.

_You have come here  
>In pursuit of your deepest urge<br>In pursuit of that wish which till now  
>Has been silent<br>Silent. _

She gestured around the cave as her voice grew stronger

_I have brought you_  
><em>That our passions may fuse and merge<em>  
><em>In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses<em>  
><em>Completely succumbed to me<em>  
><em>Now you are here with me<em>  
><em>No second thoughts<em>  
><em>You've decided<em>  
><em>Decided.<em>

She turned to him and lowered her voice slightly. Her eyes conveyed urgency to him.

_Past the point of no return_  
><em>No backward glances<em>  
><em>Our games of make-believe are at an end.<em>

She grabbed some bottles off of a nearby shelf and started pouring them into a large bowl, plumes of smoke emerging every time a new ingredient was added.

_Past all thought of "if" or "when"_  
><em>No use resisting<em>  
><em>Abandon thought and let the dream descend<em>

She turned to Kurt, waiting to see what he would choose. He shook his head, seeming to reassure himself before singing back.

_You have brought me  
>To that moment when words run dry<br>To that moment when speech disappears  
>Into silence<br>Silence._

His mind flashed to Blaine and how much he wished he were with him right now. He imagined what it might feel like to kiss those lips…

_I have come here,  
>Hardly knowing the reason why<br>In my mind I've already imagined  
>Our bodies entwining<br>Defenseless and silent, _

He snapped out of his reverie and turned back to Sue.

_Now I am here with you  
>No second thoughts<br>I've decided  
>Decided.<em>

He nodded his head once before falling silent. An evil smile crossed Sue's face. "Perfect. Now, we just have to discuss the one fall back."

"What?" Kurt asked, wary once more.

"Well," Sue explained. "This potion does have one small side effect. You see, in order to give you legs, it needs to take something of yours. A sort of energy swap, if you will."

Kurt narrowed his eyes. "Just spit it out, Sue."

She sighed heavily. "It'll take away your talking voice Kurt. You won't be able to talk."

He started to protest, but she cut him off.

"Ah, let me finish. Notice I said you won't be able to _talk_. You'll still be able to sing. And, since that seems to be how you won the fair prince's attention in the first place, I suggest you stick to that. Other than that, if you open your mouth to speak, nothing will come out normally. Every word you say will be sung."

She ran her fingers through her hair as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Yes, it's quite unfortunate, but it's the best I could do for you. Like I said earlier, with my magic and your talent, you can win the heart of Blaine. I don't doubt it at all."

Kurt seemed to hesitate at that. He weighed his options aloud.

"So, if I do this…" he said carefully, "Then I possibly won't ever see my family again. Same goes for my friends. I'll lose my talking voice…"

Sue put her hand on his shoulder, "Yes, but if you stay human permanently, I will personally make sure your speaking voice makes its way back to you. If you fail, though…you'll be my prisoner."

Kurt nodded and pictured Blaine's face in his mind. He was willing to take this risk and find out if there was something between them. If there wasn't, well he would be in the same predicament he was in now: prisoner in his own kingdom. There was nothing left to lose at this point.

"I understand," he said softly. "I'll do it."

"Splendid!" Sue said, patting Kurt on the back. "Just sign this contract and we'll get you all set up."

She held up a piece of paper with a lot of fine print and a huge X at the bottom where Kurt was supposed to sign. He frowned a bit and skimmed over the long paragraphs, taking the quill she'd offered him and signed his name quickly.

"Oh, there is one more slightly gruesome detail," she added before taking the paper back. She pulled out a needle from a nearby drawer. "Just stay still, this won't hurt."

She pricked the tip of Kurt's finger neatly and pressed it against the parchment, leaving a small, red spot behind. The paper seemed to absorb it quickly and the paper glowed brightly before rolling itself up.

"It's so old fashioned, I know," Sue said empathetically. "But that's the most binding way to do it, I hear."

She turned back to the same drawer and pulled out a pair of jeans.

"You're going to need these once you hit the surface" she said knowingly.

He reached out and grabbed the worn denim between his hands. She went back to mixing the potion until it let out a final cloud of green smoke as it simmered softly over the fire.

"Alright, Kurt," Sue said, pouring some of the potion into a cup. "Just drink this and you'll be human just like I promised. And remember everything I told you," she said before handing over the concoction.

Kurt reached out his free hand to grab it when all of a sudden, Rachel and Mercedes darted out from the entrance of the cave. Apparently they'd heard the whole thing because their eyes were wide with alarm.

"Kurt!" yelled Mercedes, "Don't do this!"

Rachel sided with her, "Your father…"

Kurt scoffed. "My father is the biggest jerk in the entire seven seas, thank you very much. I'm sorry you guys, but I've made up my mind. You're either with me or against me. But at this point, there's nothing you can do."

He turned away from them and snatched the potion out of Sue's hands before tossing it back and gulping it all down at once.

He started to feel a burning sensation in his fin and he began to feel light headed. He looked down and saw his fin glowing, the scales disappearing quickly as it split into two and shrunk down a bit.

In less than a minute, Kurt had sprung legs. Before he could register that fact, he felt his lungs starting to burn; it was getting harder and harder to breath. Then his lungs seemed to be on fire in his chest as he realized he could no longer breathe in the water.

He tried to swim, but then he realized he didn't have his fin anymore and now he was attached to two foreign appendages he didn't know how to use. He thrashed his hands in a panic, not knowing quite what to do. Mercedes and Rachel swam up to him and he put his arms around each of them. Together, they led him out of the cave and towards the surface.

Kurt looked up as the surface came nearer and nearer…his lungs feeling as if they were about to burst. He squinted his eyes as the sunlight got brighter and brighter.

He emerged out of the water and took deep gulps of air as his friends led him to the shore.

He dragged himself onto the beach, chest heaving before closing his eyes from exhaustion. He just needed to rest a moment…That's what he told himself before he lost consciousness.


	9. Getting His LandLegs

_A/N: Obviously my fic is inspired in part by Muchacha10's amazing Klaine artwork. Go take a look at her deviantart gallery and tumblr page. She does beautiful work!_

* * *

><p>Blaine sat on a smooth rock, balancing his guitar on his thigh, strumming away softly.<p>

Lucky sat at his feet, leash in his mouth, hoping that Blaine would just take him on a walk. But so far Blaine hadn't noticed at all.

'_Cause even when I dream of you  
>The sweetest dream will never do<br>I'd still miss you, babe  
>And I don't want to miss a thing<em>

He sang silently to himself, fingers plucking the strings in perfect time.

Lucky started whining and scratched at Blaine's jeans a bit, finally gaining his attention. He reached down and scratched the dog's ears lovingly.

"I'm sorry, bud. I just – I can't get that song out of my head. I can't get that _guy_ out of my mind. I'm so confused…" He became lost in thought.

Suddenly, Lucky's ears perked up and he put his nose down to the sand, sniffing rapidly. The animal turned around and barked at Blaine as if to tell him to follow.

Blaine grabbed his guitar and walked after his pet…

* * *

><p>Kurt blinked quickly, his eyes overwhelmed by the sunlight reflecting off of the sand.<p>

_The sand_…

He sat up quickly, making himself feel light-headed before he looked down at his brand new legs. He just sat, staring at them for a moment, biting back a huge grin.

He carefully extended one leg and rolled his ankle around while wiggling his toes. This had to be the weirdest thing he'd ever seen, but it just made him want to dance around happily. As he admired his strange new appendages, he noticed Mercedes and Rachel floating in some water nearby.

"Well," said Rachel, still panting from helping Kurt up to the surface, "I hope you're happy, young man!" She jabbed a claw at Kurt's foot. "Just look at you! The prince of the ocean walking around on those…th-those…things!" she shouted, gesturing wildly.

Kurt ignored her and tried to push himself up off of the sand. Whoa, it was hard to balance. He tried moving his leg forward, but was frozen in fear at the unfamiliar movement. It was like his brain couldn't even register it. He'd never had to think about swimming a day in his life and here he stood, wobbling around on a set of legs that he had no idea how to work.

He physically grabbed his leg with his hands and moved it a step forward. He seemed to gain balance after a moment and smiled with his small progress. But before he could try it again, he felt the world pull away from under him.

He went tripping towards the waves and reached out his hands to break his fall as the earth came closer and closer.

He was sent spluttering into the water and tried to breathe before he remembered his lungs weren't capable of breathing underwater anymore. As a result, he got a mouthful of saltwater that stung his throat as he swallowed a bit. He came up from the water gasping and struggling to get back to the beach.

As he lay back down on the smooth sand, he took a deep breath before attempting to get up again. Mercedes was carrying the jeans Sue had gifted Kurt in one of her fins and nudged them towards Kurt. He grabbed the denim with his free hand and sat up once more on the beach.

He was too shaken to try standing again, so he put his legs through the leg holes as he sat on the ground. He lifted the waistband over his hips and buttoned the button.

He couldn't help but admire how his legs looked in the jeans – almost as if they were made for him. He relished the feel of wet denim on his legs._He was wearing jeans_ for the first time in his life.

"_My first human milestone_," he thought to himself.

Mercedes and Rachel were still eyeing him warily as he stood up for a second time.

"Look," Rachel started angrily again, "You don't even know how to operate those…_legs!_" She spat out the last word as if it were a profanity.

She turned to Mercedes. "We should just go straight to King Burt and ask him to use the magic of the trident to turn Kurt back…" she nodded, validating herself as she went on excitedly.

"Yes, then no one else will have to know about this horrible misunderstanding and you could just go back to the kingdom where you belong…" She looked towards Mercedes hopefully.

Kurt opened his mouth to protest.

"Rachel…" he tried to say, but his voice got caught in his throat and instead of a normal word forming, it came out as a breathy high pitched tone.

"_How convenient_," he remembered, "_I can only sing_…"

He looked heavenward and dropped his head in his hands. Instead of trying to speak again, he just scooped up Rachel in his hands and glared at her until she shut up.

Mercedes swam back and forth in the calm, shallow water nearby.

"Okay, look," she said after a while, "we're not going to do anything."

Rachel started to argue, but Mercedes just ignored her.

"We can't go to Kurt's dad about this, he'll be so unbelievably angry about it. Then he'll force Kurt to go home and it'll just be a huge mess between them. No, we have to let him live out these five days here. It's the only choice we have," she said directly to Rachel.

"It's better if his dad just thinks he ran away or something…better than telling him that his own son deliberately went to the sea witch and asked for legs." Mercedes narrowed her eyes up at Kurt.

Kurt shot her an annoyed look and tried to speak again.

"_I did __**not**__ go to her, she came to __**me**,_" he sang sharply.

Well, that would take some getting used to.

It was so strange to want to say something with anger and the words just coming out of his mouth melodically against his will instead; Definitely ineffective for the argument at hand. He decided just not to talk anymore.

He took a wobbly step forward, trying to walk again as he tried to ignore the argument about his future that obviously didn't include his input anymore.

He still had Rachel in his hand and he stuck out his arms as he tried to balance himself. It seemed to work as he took another unsure step forward. He lost his balance a bit and almost fell over once more but he caught himself at the last moment. Maybe he was getting the hang of this after all…

"Could you _try_ to be a little more careful?" Rachel asked, clearly shaken from Kurt's near fall.

He just rolled his eyes at her and placed her on the ground so he could take another step away from the water.

He heard the fluttering of wings overhead and saw a shadow pass over the sun. He looked up quickly and saw Finn flying to where they were.

"Hi, guys!" Finn said happily, completely oblivious to Kurt's transformation. "What's up?"

Rachel raised her eyebrows at him, as if to question his sanity.

Mercedes resorted to strong sarcasm. "Oh nothing, you know. The usual. We're just chillin' here on the beach in broad daylight like we always do."

Finn just nodded as if this made perfect sense in his mind – which it probably did.

"Kurt!" he exclaimed, spotting the jeans he was wearing, "Those jeans look _amazing_ on you."

He waddled up to Kurt's leg and admired the pants up close,

"They look as if they were tailored just for you. I always knew you'd look great in jeans." He nodded his clear approval.

Mercedes shouted from the water, "Are you serious right now, Finn?"

Finn looked at her with a confused expression.

"Yeah, don't you think he looks good?" he asked.

"I think he looks _like a human,_" she hinted unsubtly.

Finn looked at her strangely as if he didn't understand. "Well, _duh_. He's wearing _jeans_, Mercedes."

She shook her head in frustration and seemed to give up for the moment.

Rachel took over the situation and spoke to the seagull very slowly. "Finn, Kurt _is_ a human now."

Finn turned back to Kurt and looked him up and down for the first time and his eyes finally widened with recognition.

"Holy _smokes_!" he shouted. "Kurt, do you know that you have _legs_?"

Kurt dropped his head into his hands. Was he the only sane one around here? He looked at Finn through his fingers and nodded slowly.

"Wow…" Finn said simply, "Just…wow. What did your old man say?"

Mercedes answered for Kurt.

"His dad doesn't even _know_. Could you imagine what he'd say? He'd probably kill Kurt himself or strip Kurt of his title or _something_." She splashed around, fidgeting nervously just thinking of it.

"Well," Finn said, "You look great, kid. If that prince guy's around here somewhere, you'll knock him dead."

Kurt flushed a bit thinking about Blaine and felt his stomach twist. This was, after all, all for him.

He had a brief flash of panic – what if Blaine didn't like him? What if he didn't even recognize him? Oh this was all such a stupid idea in the first place! What was he thinking? He probably didn't stand a chance.

Before he could second guess himself further, he heard barking nearby and heading in his direction. Finn flew to a nearby rock and Rachel scuttled back into the waters were Mercedes had ducked down, hiding herself in the water.

Kurt turned in the direction of the barking, but before he could regain his bearings, a huge dog with golden fur was bounding up to him and jumping on him excitedly.

Kurt let out a yelp as he went toppling over from the weight of the animal. He groaned as his head hit the wet sand, but the dog didn't seem to notice. The animal clambered over Kurt and started licking his face eagerly. Kurt laughed at how it felt and tried to push the dog off of him, but he was too weak.

"Lucky!" a strong voice called out worriedly.

Blaine came rushing up and grabbed the dog by the collar, pulling him off of Kurt, leash in hand.

"I'm so sorry," Blaine apologized, attaching the leash to Lucky once more. "I was walking him and he just started running…the leash came undone and…" he trailed off as he looked down at Kurt's face.

He extended a hand to the fallen boy which Kurt slowly accepted. He allowed himself to be hoisted up onto his feet as Blaine kept staring at his face, comprehension slowly dawning on him.

"Are y-you…?" Blaine stammered, "I mean…have we…met?"

Kurt nodded enthusiastically. He wanted to say something, anything really, but he knew nothing would come out. A huge smile crossed Blaine's face.

"I knew it! I knew you'd be here! You…you saved my life, didn't you?" He sighed in relief when he realized he hadn't been crazy.

Kurt nodded again, wishing he could contribute more to the conversation, but he was too afraid of what might escape his lips. Blaine tightened the grip on Kurt's hand excitedly,

"Well, tell me, what's your name?" he asked quickly before backtracking slightly. "I mean, so I can thank you properly" he chuckled softly.

Kurt touched his throat as if to say it was bothering him. Blaine's eyes filled with concern.

"Can't you talk?" he asked.

Kurt shook his head, "_I can only sing_," he admitted in a high falsetto.

Blaine's eyes widened with disbelief.

"Whoa, that's…that's something" he said. But it seemed as if he actually believed him; there wasn't a hint of skepticism in his eyes. "So where did you come from then?"

Kurt tried to think of how to mime that he was lost, but Lucky was sniffing his legs from behind and nudged him forward. He was already weak in the knees from Blaine touching his hand, so it only took that small nudge to send him tumbling forward into Blaine's arms.

"Whoa, whoa," Blaine said, catching him easily and gazing down into his eyes. "You must've really been through a bad wreck," he said, eyeing Kurt's lack of clothes. "Come on, you can come with me."

He tried to stand Kurt up on his own and stepped away from him, expecting to him to follow. But Kurt just swayed on the spot for a moment before tripping over his own feet again. Blaine caught him again and laughed a bit.

"You really need my help, don't you?" he asked. "Alright then." He grabbed Kurt's arm and draping it across his own shoulder, supporting him effortlessly.

Rachel and Mercedes watched from the water, mouths open with shock.

"I can't believe this is actually _working_," Rachel spluttered in disbelief.

Mercedes just watched sadly as Blaine guided Kurt away from the water. She couldn't follow him now if she tried.

Together, Kurt and Blaine slowly began walking away from that stretch of beach and towards that gleaming castle upon the cliff top.

"You can come stay in my castle," Blaine said reassuringly. "I'm kind of a big deal," he joked.

His arm around Kurt's bare shoulders was sending chills down Kurt's spine as he just tried to concentrate on not falling down anymore.

* * *

><p>Sue smirked as she watched the scene unfolding on her all-knowing mirror.<p>

"Look, girls," she said to Santana and Brittany. "Our precious prince has just taken the bait." She widened her smile. "He'll be falling in love with Kurt in no time at all…"


	10. A Warm Welcome

_A/N: As always, I have to credit this inspiration for this fic to Muchacha10 and her phenomenal Klaine artwork. She has so much talent!_

* * *

><p>Kurt wiped the water off his face just before the servant attending him dumped another bucket of warm water over his head. How strange to be sitting in a huge tub of bath water and feel so alien when just a few hours ago, he'd never left the water before. His hair was plastered against his forehead and he quickly ran his fingers through it so that if was out of his way once more.<p>

Blaine had insisted that Kurt take a proper bath before dinner – Apparently being washed up on shore wasn't an attractive look.

As much as Kurt had (silently) protested, eventually he gave in and allowed one of Blaine's countless attendants draw a bath for him.

So here he sat, in a huge marble tub with what looked like a golden trim. The water was warm against his skin and there were mountains of bubbles surrounding him.

He scooped up a handful of the sudsy water in his hand and marveled at how the bubbles stayed intact.

The attendant gave a small bow as he left Kurt to soak in his bath. Kurt gave a polite nod in his direction seeing as how singing "Thank You" would probably just creep him out.

He leaned back against the smooth ledge of the tub and sank deeper into the warm water as he thought of the possibilities dinner could hold for him.

* * *

><p>It'd been a long hike to the castle, mostly silent on Kurt's part. Blaine had tried to ask him more questions about who he was, but after singing out a few answers, Kurt just stopped answering verbally out of embarrassment.<p>

Blaine had joked about it and tried to encourage Kurt to communicate with him again, but it was of no use; Kurt was horribly stubborn when he wanted to be. So instead Blaine did all the talking for the both of them.

"I really owe you one," Blaine had said, looking gratefully at Kurt. "You saved my life. I mean, how many people can genuinely say that?"

He took a deep breath before going on.

"I was going to _die_. My foot was caught in that hole and I just was so sure that that would be the end for me…" he trailed off thoughtfully. "You…you didn't even know me and you risked your neck to save me. Honestly, I'll never be able to thank you enough," he shook his head a bit with a smile tugging on the edges of his lips.

"Now will you just tell me your name? I need to know who to thank."

Kurt opened his mouth without thinking.

"_My name is Kurt_," he sang softly before scolding himself for letting Blaine break his resolve.

He fell quiet once more as Blaine grinned at him.

"Kurt, huh?" He nodded, as if this answer was the obvious one. "I really like that name," he said, looking at Kurt once more.

Blaine ducked his head, suddenly shy, before taking a breath and saying, "Well, thank you, Kurt. You may just be the best person I've ever met." He laughed easily, squeezing Kurt's waist.

Kurt shook his head modestly, causing Blaine to protest once more.

"Come on, letting you stay in my castle is the absolute _least_ that I could do for you after what you've done for me," he teased.

Kurt just continued shaking his head and even waved away his comment with his hand. Blaine laughed at his reaction before changing the subject.

"So, I'm part of this musical group called the Warblers."

Kurt raised his eyes at the name, so Blaine explained.

"It's a traditional thing, okay? Warblers are songbirds, so that's pretty much why we're called that. Anyways, they're like my best friends and you should get used to seeing them hanging around a lot. They'll be at dinner actually…" he remembered.

Kurt took advantage of this pause in Blaine's discussion to admire his face up close.

He looked so perfect, yet sad in some way. Right now, his eyes looked far off as he thought of his friends who were expecting him. Kurt suspected that he could lose himself in those beautifully light brown eyes…

Blaine still had his arm around Kurt's waist as he supported most of his weight and at that particular moment he moved his fingers a bit, sending tingles where his fingers were grazing. Kurt let out a gust of air from the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Blaine continued talking as if he hadn't sensed Kurt's fascination in him in the slightest.

"So, when we get back home, you should, er, freshen up." He glanced towards Kurt again, acknowledging his lack of clothing once more.

"Then I would _honored_," he looked into Kurt's blue eyes , "if you joined me for dinner."

Kurt couldn't help but smile back while he nodded as if he was humoring Blaine.

Blaine grinned back and said, "Great! There should be some extra clothes lying around, so that shouldn't be a problem."

They'd finally reached a paved road that sloped upwards towards the castle. Blaine tried to continue leading Kurt forward, but the change in the ground level just threw Kurt extremely off balance as he came dangerously close to falling down again. Blaine tightened his hold around Kurt's waist as he regained balance.

"Here," Blaine offered, bending down and putting his free arm behind Kurt's knees, scooping him up easily.

Kurt squirmed in defiance and even dared to smack Blaine's chest playfully. He glared up at Blaine as if to say "_Seriously_?"

Blaine just laughed at Kurt's expression and said, "Do you see how far away the castle still is from here? I don't need you tripping every two seconds – that would make us so late for dinner. In fact, we'd probably make it there just in time for _breakfast_…" he joked.

Kurt took another swat at him, but Blaine dodged it neatly as he started moving forward.

Kurt's heart leapt in his chest and he threw his arms around Blaine's neck as they started their ascent. Blaine just chuckled, enjoying Kurt's touch more than he would admit to himself.

Kurt turned his head away from Blaine to look at the castle, chanting in his mind, "_Don't look at his lips, don't look at his lips. Please, whatever you do, don't look at his lips._"

Blaine carried Kurt swiftly up the hill as he continued their conversation as if it was never interrupted.

"Anyways," he said softly, "I was thinking about how good of a singer you are…"

Kurt's face turned an interesting shade of red as he realized Blaine was thinking about when he'd sang on the beach the other day.

Blaine smiled a bit at the memory before pressing on.

"Well, I think you have an _amazing_ voice. Really – one of the best I've ever heard." Of that, he was sure.

Kurt just flushed deeper as Blaine continued.

"I really think you should sing with the Warblers sometime. I think you'd add something…I don't know, something _special_ to our group."

Kurt tilted his head to the side and put a finger to his chin as if to say, "_I'll think about it_".

Blaine chuckled and Kurt had to admit that he liked the way it felt from where he was tucked in Blaine's arms. He felt the reverberations through Blaine's chest and it gave him a fluttering sensation in his stomach.

"Well," Blaine said as they came to the top of the hill, "Here we are: home sweet home."

The castle was really a sight to see up close in the afternoon light. The sun reflected brightly off of the glass wall facing the ocean and created a perfect mirror of the sun in the sky over the waves. It had to be the largest building for miles.

Kurt took in a sharp breath, suddenly very overwhelmed by how foreign this building was to him. But Blaine seemed perfectly at ease – as he should be – indifferent to the picture-perfect castle in front of him.

To Blaine, this was just home.

He carefully set Kurt back on his feet and smiled at Kurt's open-mouthed gaze.

Blaine reached down and grabbed Kurt's hand.

"Come on, let's get you inside."

Kurt had stopped breathing all together. Blaine was holding his _hand_. And not because Kurt had put it there like last time, but because he actually _wanted_ to.

He could barely regain his composure before Blaine was gently tugging him forward and through the iron wrought gates guarding the castle towards the doors.

* * *

><p>And here he was now; he smiled as he turned the knob on the bathtub with his foot, letting in more hot water. He sighed contentedly for the moment before scooping up some more bubbles and blowing them into the air. He watched as they popped one by one before looking at his hands.<p>

How weird, the tips of his fingers were all wrinkly. He hadn't even been in the bath that long. His skin had never reacted that way to water before.

He pushed the thought away as he flexed his fingers and hoisted himself up out of the bath carefully and grabbed a nearby towel.

A few moments later, he stood in front of a full-body gilded mirror, admiring his reflection at every angle possible. The nice attendant who drew his bath had laid out a brand new suit on his bed. Kurt had tried it on excitedly, admiring the purple vest he was now wearing over a white dress shirt.

He pulled on the suit jacket and buttoned the front as a tailor was now standing behind him, ordering him to stick his arms out. He obliged quietly as the tailor took the suit in where it was slightly too large.

The man worked quickly and had sewed everything in the finest quality before leaving the room without a word before Kurt could even have another inner argument with himself about whether to sing "Thank You" or not.

He shook his head and smoothed down the lapel of the jacket once more before sitting down on the edge of his bed.

On the floor next to his feet was a pair of black dress shoes that had been chosen to be worn with the suit. Kurt picked up the left shoe slowly and ran his fingers over the shiny material lovingly. He traced the pattern of the laces and just admired it for a second.

This was it - his very first pair of shoes.

He took a deep breath before opening the mouth of the shoe a bit and sliding his foot inside. He gasped at how wonderful it looked and how it even made him feel happy.

It was a perfect fit; he didn't know how the attendant managed to figure that. He laced it quickly before dropping his pant leg over the top of his shoe and putting on the other one. When both shoes were properly put on, he sat on the edge of the bed, just admiring how great his feet looked.

After a long moment, he pushed up off of the bed and took one last look at his reflection in the mirror before heading towards the door.

* * *

><p>All of the Warblers were gathered around the table, dressed formally. Blaine sat at the head of the table, one seat left empty at his right for Kurt.<p>

When Blaine had filled in the rest of the guys that he'd finally found the man who'd saved his life, the Warblers didn't believe him at first.

"Yeah right, Blaine!" Jeff said as he slugged Wes on the shoulder as if to say "_Do you believe this guy_?"

Thad chimed in, "Exactly. What are we supposed to believe you were just walking across the beach and you just _happened_ to find this guy lying in the sand? And this guy just _coincidentally_ is the same one who saved your life?" He exchanged smirks with the boys seating nearest him.

"Yeah," the rest of the boys chorused, "Come on!"

Blaine laughed along with them and held up his hands.

"You guys, I'm serious. And you'd better treat him better than you're treating me right now."

The group waved his comment away as Wes spoke.

"Blaine, I told you. This…dream guy of yours…I mean, are you even sure he saved you? What if you were just…" he trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"Hallucinating?" Blaine finished bitterly. "You guys, I know what I saw. I know you're just worried about me," he said, turning back to Wes, "But this guy's the real deal. So you'd better be nice to him. He's, uh, well…he's kind of shy," he lied smoothly, "And he doesn't like to talk, so just make him feel at home."

At that moment, there was the sound of footsteps on the tile flooring. All of the boys turned towards the door to see Kurt being led in by a waiter. He wasn't even looking at the boys, who couldn't take their eyes off of him, but rather through the glass wall to his left.

The dining room was on the third floor, facing the ocean. Kurt took in the gorgeous view before turning to the tableful of expectant looking boys. They all seemed taken aback by his flawless appearance, but he only had eyes for Blaine.

Blaine couldn't peel his eyes away from Kurt; the suit he'd chosen for the other boy was perfect – the purple vest peeping out of the jacket and accenting Kurt's eyes very well, indeed. Blaine realized he'd been holding his breath unconsciously and exhaled slowly before gesturing to the open chair beside him.

"Hi, Kurt," he said warmly as Kurt walked up to the seat and sat down.

Kurt smiled in response before looking back at the group of boys, still wordlessly staring at him, as if they were wondering whether he was real of not.

Nick was sitting closest to Kurt and he stuck out his hand bravely.

"I'm Nick. It's nice to meet you."

Kurt shook his hand tentatively as the rest of the boys introduced themselves – from Wes all the way down the line to David. Kurt waved at them politely, not sure what else he could do since he couldn't say "hi" back.

Luckily he was saved as a bunch of waiters glided into the room, balancing trays on their arms. It seemed that stuffed crab was on the menu, a delicacy. Kurt's face drained of color a bit as he thought of Rachel.

As the waiter placed a plate in front of him, he shot a worried look towards Blaine. Was he expected to eat this?

Blaine caught Kurt's panicked gaze and asked him, "You don't eat seafood?"

Kurt shook his head quickly, sitting further back in his chair to put as much distance between him and the plate in front of him. Blaine beckoned a nearby waiter.

"John," he addressed the waiter politely, "Would you please take this back to the kitchen and bring Kurt back a vegetarian dish?"

The waiter nodded. "Of course, sir."

"Thank you," Blaine said as he scurried off towards the kitchen.

"Oh, that reminds me," he said softly as the rest of the boys talked loudly over one another while they dug into their meals, "Take these."

He pulled out a green post-it note pad and a pen that he put in front of Kurt. "Just write down whatever you want to say so you don't have to just sit here all quietly. If it makes you feel any better, I have my own set." He pulled out some yellow post-it notes from his pocket to prove it. "This way, we're even."

Kurt beamed at him and uncapped the pen without hesitation before scribbling a quick note.

"_Thank you. For the pad and for the food thing. You totally just saved me,_" it said.

Blaine read it and laughed before writing back.

"_All in a day's work, my friend_."

Kurt laughed with him before writing back.

"_Do you treat all of the ship-wrecked boys like this, or just me?_" He watched Blaine read it with a smirk.

Blaine wrote back, "_No, just the ones who can sing_."

They both looked at each other before bursting out laughing. One they regained their composure they noticed the rest of the table had gone silent, just watching their interaction. They were looking at Blaine strangely.

"Oh my gosh, Blaine," Ethan said, "I've never heard you laugh so hard before."

The rest of the boys nodded their agreement.

"You guys are ridiculous," Blaine joked before waving them off. "Just...go back to eating," he said after a moment.

The group shrugged and continued scarfing down their food, just as the waiter returned and set down a lovely cobb salad in front of Kurt.

"Thank you, John," Blaine said for Kurt easily.

Kurt flashed him a smile of gratitude before gathering some food on his fork.

David, who was sitting across from Kurt, set down his fork as he stared at Blaine, who was still gazing at Kurt. Judging from the look in Blaine's eyes, he was totally smitten. David suddenly had a flash of genius.

"Hey, Blaine," he said, touching Blaine's arm lightly.

"Yeah?" Blaine said, tearing his eyes unwillingly from Kurt to face David.

"Why don't you take Kurt on a tour of your kingdom tomorrow? I'm sure he'd like to see more than the beach while he's here."

Blaine's face lit up at the suggestion. He turned excitedly to Kurt, who'd been listening quietly.

"What do you think?" Blaine asked. "Do you want me to show you around?"

Kurt seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding enthusiastically. He wrote down on his pad, "_I'd like that_" before holding it up for Blaine and David to see.

"Great!" David clapped his hands together. "Then it's settled."

Blaine smiled at Kurt once more before they began eating again. Kurt felt hopeful that maybe things were going his way for once.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Kurt was sitting at the vanity set up in his room. He brushed his hair and looked at his reflection, thinking of his own vanity back home in his own castle. He pushed away the nagging feeling of guilt and homesickness in his mind as he pulled the bristles through his hair one last time.<p>

He pulled off his shirt in one fluid movement and slipped on the t-shirt Blaine had lent him to sleep in for the night. He pulled on the flannel pajama bottoms and ran his hands over them, marveling at how soft they felt.

The curtains over the doors that led to his balcony fluttered with the evening breeze. He'd left the doors cracked open so that he could smell the salty sea water. The familiar scent was comforting to him. He heard Lucky barking and Blaine's laugh floating through the window.

He crept over to the doors and opened them a little wider, venturing onto the balcony silently.

Down below, Blaine was playing fetch with his dog.

"Go get it, Lucky!" Blaine said as he tossed a bone into the air.

The dog barked happily and bounded over to retrieve the toy faithfully. He came running up to Blaine a few minutes later, the bone in his mouth and dropped it happily into Blaine's hands while wagging his tail excitedly.

"Good boy!" Blaine laughed as he petted the dog's golden fur.

Lucky barked again in response before licking Blaine's face all over.

"Stop it, Lucky," Blaine said, laughing. "You're such a weirdo," he said as he scratched the dog's head once more.

Kurt leaned against the railing, his head cradled in his hands, and sighed Blaine _be_ any more amazing? And tomorrow he'd get to spend a whole day together with him – just the two of them.

This, Kurt decided, must be what heaven feels like.

He let out another sigh, louder than the last, which caused Blaine to look up to where he was standing.

Kurt straightened up quickly, trying to act natural. He ran a hand through his hair, not knowing quite what do with himself; his heart was racing from embarrassment.

Blaine just laughed easily and waved to Kurt.

"Goodnight," he called up.

Kurt waved back and gave Blaine a small smile before backing up slowly through the balcony doors and closing them softly behind him.

Kurt let out a breath and stretched, popping some joints in his arms. He yawned widely, realizing just how tired he was after the eventful day.

He threw back the covers on the spacious bed and sat on the edge of it cautiously. The mattress was impossibly soft and he sort of sank into it a bit. He laid down softly, testing out the material before pulling the covers up to his chin. He reached over to his night stand and turned the lamp off.

His eyelids were heavy before he even rolled over again and he fell asleep in record time.

There'd be no question about who he was dreaming of tonight.


	11. A New Day

_A/N: I always have to give credit for my inspiration to the forever wonderful Muchacha10 and her mind-blowing talent for drawing Klaine pictures. _

_I really wanted to include more of this second day, but it ran away with me. Expect the continuation of day two soon! Thanks for reading! (:_

* * *

><p>King Burt felt exceptionally tired as he dropped his weary head into his hands. He hadn't slept for over twenty four hours.<p>

He'd sent a messenger looking for Kurt shortly after he'd lost his temper in the cave. After a few hours of fuming he'd come to his sense and the whole thing made him feel ashamed of himself for getting so angry and hurting Kurt like that.

Though he still found the whole thing disgusting – he was getting angry again just thinking of that…that _collection_ – he had to admit that he'd behaved irrationally.

He'd been thinking of the painting he'd seen Kurt mooning over. It was most definitely of a man.

What did that _mean_? Kurt had never told him that he wasn't interested in mermaids.

Burt rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Well, Kurt had never _pursued_ a mermaid either, and though he was always polite to the ladies Burt had introduced him to, he'd never been taken by one. He'd never looked at one like he'd been looking at that man in the painting.

He shook his head, regaining himself.

Be that as it may, that human in the picture was just that: a _human_. He might've approved if Kurt had brought him a respectable merman, but he didn't. Instead it looked like he was crazy for whoever this mystery man was.

Well, Burt might be an understanding merman, but he couldn't tolerate Kurt trying to win the heart of someone who didn't even live in the ocean. No, that wouldn't do.

He'd have to have a serious talk with his son and let him know that he was okay with Kurt liking mermen and to have his pick of those in the kingdom. But he had to forbid his son from ever trying to court this _man_.

That was when he'd sent Becky to go find his son. He told her the whereabouts of the cave and told her to search around there until she found Kurt.

He'd sat on his throne, expecting her to return within the hour; she was always quick to summon merpeople. When two hours passed by slowly with no sign of her return, he began to worry. At almost the three hour mark, she returned – alone.

"Becky?" he asked her. "Is something wrong? Where is Kurt?"

Becky bowed low before speaking. "Your Majesty, we can't find Kurt."

King Burt felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He looked at Becky in disbelief as she continued.

"I looked around the cave that you told me and inside of it, but he was no where to be found. I organized a small search party and no one's seen Kurt, Mercedes, or Rachel at all."

Burt got up off of his throne and grabbed his trident. Lines of worry creased his forehead as he tried to think of what to do.

_His son was missing._

He took a deep breath and turned back to Becky.

"I'm going to organize a bigger search party. Instruct the merpeople to cover more ground and search outside of the kingdom. Tell them my orders are that no one in the kingdom sleeps until my son and his friends are found and returned safely home." He said the last line loudly, letting his emotions get the better of him.

Becky bowed once more.

"Yes, sire." She quickly left the throne room.

He sank down onto his throne and let his trident fall to the floor with a loud crash.

What if Kurt had run away? What if he never came back? And if he didn't, it would serve Burt right for lashing out like that earlier.

It would be all his fault and there'd be no one to share the blame with. He let his face fall into his eyes as he finally allowed himself to cry.

"_What have I done?_" he wondered.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up early, refreshed from his deep sleep. He stretched his hands above his head, fingertips grazing the wooden headboard of his bed. His mind was hazy as he stretched his lower body, trying to flex his fin.<p>

_Oh wait_, he had two legs there instead. This was going to take more than one day to get used to, he could see. He wiggled his toes, entertaining himself with stretching his new limbs.

He exhaled the breath he was holding as he slid his hands under the cool backside of his pillow, supporting his head. He couldn't help but smile at himself as he thought of all the possibilities this tour of the kingdom could hold for him.

A soft knocking at the door interrupted his fantasy and he turned his head as someone was opening the door. Blaine's head tentatively emerged through the crack as he looked towards Kurt's bed.

"Oh good," Blaine smiled at him, "you're awake." He ran a hand absentmindedly through his curly hair. "I came in earlier to see if you were up," he admitted, "but you looked to peaceful while you were sleeping, I decided not to bother you."

Blaine's face colored slightly at his tiny confession before he cleared his throat. "So get ready then. We have a full schedule ahead of us."

He clapped his hands twice as if he were giving orders. Kurt smiled and rolled his eyes wordlessly as Blaine exited the room once more.

Kurt threw back the covers and sat up quickly, putting his bare feet on the carpet. He let his toes feel the soft flooring beneath them before he pushed off of the bed.

He was a little wobbly again at first, the blood not quite flowing through all his limbs just yet. As he stood, swaying back and forth slightly and gripping the nightstand for support, a few of his leg joints cracked from the use of his new appendages after a long night's sleep.

When he was sure he wouldn't fall down again, he let go of the nightstand and slowly padded his way to the closet. The two doors of the closet were mirrors, so he looked at himself before opening them to find his clothes for the day.

He looked different, standing with two legs instead of one fin.

He observed his reflection, leaning slightly more on one hip, his hair a ruffled mess. The t-shirt he was wearing was wrinkly now and the pants were a little baggy. But he really looked just like a human now; if he could talk, no one would ever doubt him ever again.

Even though he looked beautiful and captivating still, he didn't feel as majestic. He tilted his head to the side as he observed he might've lost a few inches of height with his new legs. His fin had been long and shining, now he looked a bit more plain, though still stunning.

He shrugged the thought away as he slid open one door revealing more clothes than he'd ever seen in one place.

The right side of the closet seemed to be holding only shirts, which was saying something since there were two rods instead of one, doubling the amount of shirts than there normally would be. Shirts of every style, cut, color, and fabric he could imagine. His eyes were wide as he ran his hands over the fine materials, enjoying the clink of the hangers as they bumped against one another.

He hardly knew where to start, there were so many to choose from! He finally decided on a plain white t-shirt which he put under a light blue cardigan. The color would definitely play up his eyes from what he saw in the mirror and he had to look his best if he wanted Blaine to kiss him.

He slid the doors over to reveal the other side of the closet which was full of more pants than Kurt thought he could ever wear. He decided on a pair of black fitted jeans that really flattered his figure. He stepped back to look at himself once more and spun happily, satisfied with how he looked.

There was another door next to the closet and Kurt put his hand on the doorknob, intrigued by it. He turned the handle and opened the door slowly. As he let the light from the window spill onto the contents of the closet, he let out a loud gasp.

_Shoes._

A closet dedicated solely to housing the largest collection of shoes Kurt had ever seen in his life – and that was saying something as he thought back to his own collection. He didn't let himself get sucked into depression over the loss of his shoe collection because he was so excited about the shelves upon shelves of shoes standing before him.

And the fabulous part about it was that they were all paired up perfectly – no more mismatched shoes! Kurt could hardly contain himself as he clapped his hands together excitedly and bounced up and down a bit.

He decided on a lovely pair of sneakers which were perfect for touring the kingdom and doing plenty of walking. They were dark and had a unique pattern of stars on them – a small detail that Kurt appreciated greatly. He sat down on the edge of his bed and laced them up on his feet, leaning back on the bed spread to admire his handy work.

He remembered teaching himself how to tie the perfect bow when he first started his collection back home. His fingers had been red for days from all the failed attempts at tying laces and getting his fingers caught in the knots. Now he'd perfected the science and was able to tie the laces without losing any of his fingers.

He stood up and smoothed out his jeans before grabbing a scarf that went with his cardigan from the top drawer of his dresser and draping it around his neck artfully. He also picked up the pad of post-it notes from the nightstand and slipping it into his pocket quickly.

He felt confident in his look and couldn't very well be bothered about what other people thought anyways. Kurt walked out of the room feeling better about himself than he'd felt in a while.

* * *

><p>Kurt descended the grand staircase carefully, as he saw Blaine waiting at the bottom for him. He lifted his head and smiled at Kurt. As he gripped the banister of the staircase, Kurt felt his heartbeat stuttering in his chest as he took in how dashing Blaine looked.<p>

He was wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt under a grey jacket that was cut in a way that made him understand it was expensive. Blaine looked completely at ease, with his hands shoved in the pocket of his jeans.

"Hey!" he greeted Kurt as he finally reached the bottom of the staircase.

He took his hands out of his pockets and grabbed Kurt in a tight embrace. Kurt stiffened in shock before returning Blaine's apparently friendly hug. He let his arms rest against Blaine's back as he took in the scent of him.

There was the clean scent of soap along with the comforting smell of detergent from his clothes mixed with an unfamiliar scent. It was as if Blaine had his own signature smell, and Kurt enjoyed it. He took a deep breath as he felt more relax and protected than he'd ever felt back home.

Blaine held on for a second longer than he should have, but Kurt didn't let himself think too much about that. As Blaine pulled back, he let his hands rest on Kurt's arms as he took a step back and observed him.

"Wow, Kurt," Blaine said, letting his eyes wander up and down Kurt's body. "You look great!"

Kurt felt himself reddening slightly and waved his hand modestly as if to say "_It was nothing_." Well that certainly got a laugh out of Blaine.

"Really," he said, "I may just have to let you dress me someday."

Kurt rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak reflexively.

"_Please, you dress yourself just fine, Blaine_." The words came out as if he'd been practicing an octave exercise.

Kurt blanched and slapped his hands across his mouth, wishing he could will himself into invisibility.

Blaine just laughed it off.

"Boy, do I wish I had a range like yours." he said admiringly. "That was great!"

He took the Kurt's hands and gently pried them away from his mouth.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Kurt," Blaine said kindly.

Kurt just swallowed nervously and nodded. He shook off the unsure feelings and remembered the pad of post-its in his pocket and pulled them out eagerly.

"_Where to first?_" he wrote, showing it to Blaine. The other boy smiled and dug around in his jacket pocket.

"_Let's go shopping,_" he wrote back, "_Considering you were almost naked when I found you, you need clothes of your own._"

Kurt raised his eyebrows. Another guy who liked clothes and was willing to take him shopping? That sounded promising to him.

Blaine mistook Kurt's silence as offense and hastily said aloud, "Not that you don't look good in my clothes."

Now Kurt was the one laughing and he shoved Blaine's arm playfully. Blaine put the post-its back in his jacket pocket and reached out to grab Kurt's hand.

"Let's go!" he said brightly.

Kurt wasn't as surprised as yesterday when Blaine's fingers intertwined with his. He even dared to squeeze back. He admired how their hands fit together so perfectly, as if his whole life he'd been missing Blaine's hand in his and he hadn't even realized it until now.

He let himself enjoy it as he was led out of the hall and towards the driveway. Blaine gestured with his free hand towards a long black limousine.

"Your chariot awaits, my good sir" he said with a mock accent. He opened the back door and ushered Kurt inside.

Kurt slid onto the leather seats, admiring the upscale vehicle. He was unfamiliar with human forms of transportation, but this certainly seemed like the preferable way to travel.

The ceiling was studded with built in twinkle lights and there was mini fridge to his right. Ahead of him, there was a cooler built into the floor with various bottles and drinks sticking out of the ice, waiting to be taken.

Blaine sat down next to Kurt and pressed a button on the roof to lower the screen between the driver and the passenger compartment.

"Robert," he addressed the driver, "Would you please take us to the town square?"

The driver nodded politely, "Of course, sir."

Blaine thanked him before pressing the button once more and letting the screen slide up once more.

He pulled out his pad of post-it notes and started scribbling secretively. Kurt bit back a smile and resisted the urge to look over Blaine's shoulder at what he was writing and forced himself to look at the passing scenery as the car began to move and drove away from the castle.

He watched the ocean glimmer as it flew by. He found that he kind of missed it and longed for the feeling of being surrounded by water. He turned away as he felt Blaine touching his leg.

His heart was practically in his throat from Blaine's innocent touch as he saw that the other boy was just sticking the post it note on Kurt's jeans and smoothing his thumb along the top to secure it there. But that didn't stop Kurt's heart from racing at how it felt. He took a deep breath as he looked at what it said.

"_Are you excited?_" Blaine had written and then drawn a goofy smiley face holding some little shopping bags.

Kurt laughed and took out his own pad of post-it notes and wrote back his response, cupping his hand to protect it from Blaine's curious eyes. Blaine laughed loudly and covered his eyes for good measure. Kurt mimicked Blaine's earlier actions and stuck the post-it note on Blaine's jeans.

It read, "_Maybe a little. Would you laugh if I said I've never been shopping before?_" with a matching happy face below it.

Blaine stared at Kurt in shock as if he couldn't believe it. He quickly jotted down his response. He stuck it on Kurt's arm this time.

"_You __CANNOT__ be serious!_" he'd written. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"_We can't all be buying whole wardrobes and never wearing the same thing twice_," he wrote, tacking it on Blaine's forearm.

It was Blaine's turn to roll his eyes at Kurt as he wrote.

"_I resent that. With great wealth comes great responsibility_," before pressing it onto Kurt's chest.

A blush crept across Kurt's cheeks as he desperately hoped that Blaine couldn't feel his heart beating a million miles per minute as he stuck the post-it note there. Blaine remained indifferent to Kurt's worry and just smiled as Kurt peeled the note off of his cardigan to read it.

"_Yeah,_" he wrote back, "_You have to take over the throne someday…that must be stressful_."

He thought of his own responsibilities and realized that whether he succeeded or failed, he would never get his chance to take over his own throne. His brow furrowed a bit, but he gave Blaine a small smile as he stuck the post-it on Blaine's shoe, which was next to Kurt's knee since the other boy had his legs crossed.

Blaine nodded as he responded. He stuck the note on Kurt's cheek this time, earning him another swat and a laugh from Kurt. He peeled off the note and read it.

"_Practically any day now. My dad's been wanting me to marry for a while and I have a feeling he's going to do whatever it takes to get his way._"

Kurt looked up at him as Blaine gave him a small smile.

"_I'm sorry to hear that_," he wrote back, "_Well at least you'll have the power to inflict social change?_" He was trying to be optimistic.

He stuck it on Blaine's nose, which caused it to flutter down. Blaine laughed as he caught it in his hand. He turned serious as he wrote a long response. Kurt pretended to be looking out the window again as he gave Blaine his privacy.

Blaine quickly stuck the post-it on Kurt's shoulder before he could turn around again. Kurt giggled and turned awkwardly to pull it off.

"_Now that you mention it, I've actually been wanting to change that fishing law of ours for a while now_," Kurt's heart sped up as he realized Blaine might actually make a good ruler, "_I know it's my kingdom's biggest money-making industry, but I just think there's a better way we can generate earnings. That's only one law among many that need to be changed._"

Blaine was looking out the window now and Kurt looked at him, his opinion of him changed yet again, seeing him as an honest, caring person.

"_Wow_," he wrote back, "_I totally understand. I'm a bit of a wildlife enthusiast_," Well, that was one way to put it… "_For what it's worth, it sounds like you'll make a great King and all that jazz._"

He waited for Blaine to turn around before pouncing on him and sticking the note on his forehead.

"I see how it is!" Blaine said, laughing and pushing Kurt's shoulder jokingly.

Blaine shielded his post-it note pad while he wrote his response.

"_Enough about my rich boy problems, what about you? What are you going to be?_"

He stuck it on Kurt's mouth when he wasn't expecting it, causing Kurt to splutter in shock before feigning annoyance and giving Blaine the "I'm watching you" gesture by putting two fingers up to his eyes and turning them around to point at Blaine.

He froze for a second after reading the note. What could he possibly say? "_Oh Blaine, I used to be a merman but now I'm a human and I have no home anymore? By the way, if I don't get you to fall in love with me, I'll become a prisoner in my own kingdom, so no pressure?_"

No, just no. He honestly couldn't conjure up a lie quickly. He felt his eyes going wide with panic. Blaine was expecting an answer and he was drawing the world's biggest blank.

He was saved as the limousine came to an abrupt stop. He put his hand on Blaine's knee and squeezed as they came to a rough halt. Kurt released his grip as he realized where he was touching, but Blaine just smiled at him.

The driver came around to open the back door and held it open as Blaine stepped out of the vehicle.

He thanked the driver once more and said, "I'll take it from here, Robert. Why don't you take the rest of the afternoon off?"

The driver tipped his hat as Blaine took the door and held it open for Kurt, offering his hand to him. Kurt didn't think twice about grabbing Blaine's hand and allowing himself to be helped out of the limousine.

His eyes were blinded momentarily by the sun since they'd been adjusted to the dark, tinted windows of the car. He shielded his eyes with his free hand, hearing Blaine close the limousine door behind him, as he looked up at what had to be one of the biggest buildings in the whole square.

He felt Blaine squeeze his hand beside him as he openly gaped at the building.

"So what do you think?" Blaine asked. "It's my favorite store."

Kurt just continued staring as Blaine tugged on his hand.

"Come on, you." Blaine laughed as he released his hold on Kurt's hands and put his hands on his shoulders, pushing him through the glass doors…


	12. So Close, But Yet So Far

_A/N: Infinite thanks to the inspiration for me to start this fic: Muchaha10! I have to give her credit (even for chapters like this one and the past few that I'm really just pulling out of thin air and aren't based off of her art directly). She is a brilliant talent!_

_I really wanted to get the second day done with, which is why this is a bit lengthy. I didn't want to have to make it into a whole other chapter, so I just didn't split it up! I apologize for the length in advance (:_

* * *

><p>The inside of the store was extremely impressive. There were so many racks of clothes and shelves of jeans that Kurt felt like he might just die from heart failure. The walls were all white and the tile on the floor was also white, accenting the clothes and seeming to illustrate the fact that these pieces were both tasteful and expensive.<p>

Kurt was sure his mouth couldn't drop any further and he could feel his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. This was better than any dream he could've conjured up.

Blaine squeezed Kurt's shoulders under his hands, conveying his own excitement. He let his hands drop and stood beside Kurt, just taking in the other boy's reaction.

"So what do you think?" he asked after a moment.

Kurt's mouth just opened and closed wordlessly in shock. He shook his head, trying to regain his wits about him and fished out his pad of post-it notes again, scribbling a message quickly. He reached over and stuck it on Blaine's forehead a little harder than he should've.

Blaine just laughed it off and read the note.

"_Blaine, I don't even have any money. You don't have to do this!_" The message was underlined furiously and written in all caps.

Blaine just crumpled the post it with his hand and stuck it in his jacket pocket.

"Kurt, you are the most ridiculous person I have ever met," he dodged Kurt's attempt to push his shoulder. "I want to do this for you and you are going to _like_ it." He said the last line with mock authority as if that settled the whole matter.

Kurt shook his head and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

Blaine smiled. "Great, because I rented out the whole place. So it's just us."

Kurt looked around, registering for the first time how the whole store seemed oddly deserted. A questioning look crossed his face, but before he could try to attack Blaine again, Blaine grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the suit section.

"Now, my father is hosting a ball in a couple of days and you are definitely at the top of the guest list. Which means you need to look fabulous in a suit all your own," Blaine said.

Kurt rolled his eyes, but Blaine just grabbed a few different jackets and color combinations and pushed Kurt towards the changing rooms.

"Not a word out of you," Blaine demanded, "Just go try them on and thank me later."

Kurt stuck his nose in the air, pretending he was mad at Blaine for trying to buy him nice things as he trudged off to the dressing rooms.

Of course it was all too much and he debated on telling Blaine to just not bother with him at all. But he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't excited about the whole thing. He'd never even touched clothing as fine as this before. And to be able to call it his own? That might be too much for his little heart to bear.

He clutched the clothes to his chest for a moment, just hugging them before he hung them up on a clothes hook. He removed his cardigan and shirt to try on a few dress shirts and vests. He finally decided on accenting with the color green because it made his eyes pop nicely.

After much debate, he chose a simple black jacket with a smooth lapel collar. He buttoned the front button and stood back a bit, looking at his reflection in the mirror from all angle. He smiled widely as he realized he looked better than he ever had in his whole entire life. When Blaine saw him in this ensemble, he would just _have_ to kiss him.

He did a small celebratory dance as he thought of the possibilities.

"_This is really happening_…" he thought to himself.

After a few more minutes of admiring himself, he reluctantly changed clothes again and hung up the suits neatly, careful not to wrinkle them.

Finally when everything was back in order, he grabbed the mass of hangers in his hand and headed back out to where Blaine was sitting.

"What did you decide on?" Blaine asked curiously.

Kurt shook his head as he pulled out his post-it pad again.

"_It's a secret. I'm not telling you. You'll just have to be surprised,_" he wrote before walking past Blaine and sticking it on his back.

Blaine laughed and struggled for a minute trying to reach it. When he finally read it, he started to protest.

"But Kurt…" he followed closely behind him now.

Kurt turned around and put a finger to Blaine's lips to silence him. He couldn't help but notice how soft Blaine's lips where and how hot his breath felt against Kurt's finger. They stood there for a few heartbeats before Kurt realized he should remove his hand. He gave Blaine a curt nod to show he wouldn't change his mind and Blaine just shook his head, smiling.

"You are something else," Blaine said, staring after Kurt as he went through some other racks. Blaine caught up to him and took away the pile of clothes he was still holding onto.

"Well, then I'm not letting you put any of this back. We're talking them all. So ha!" Blaine said triumphantly.

Kurt wrote "_NO_" on about twenty different post-its and stuck them all over Blaine's body in protest. Blaine just moved out of reach and hid behind a rack of clothes.

"Attacking me won't change my mind," he warned Kurt as he peeled off the post-its.

Kurt put his face in his hands and feigned exasperation. He ignored Blaine and went to look at some different clothes.

He could get used to spending time with Blaine if it was going to be this much fun.

* * *

><p>An hour later, after Kurt had picked out a few more outfits, he felt satisfied with himself and wrote to Blaine, "<em>Okay, I think I'm done now<em>" before sticking it on his pant leg.

Blaine shifted the pile of clothes he was holding to the other arm and crumpled the note before throwing it at Kurt's head. Kurt just caught it calmly in his hand and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, no fair!" Blaine said. "You're not supposed to catch it."

Kurt just uncrumpled the note and stuck it back on Blaine.

The other boy just shook his head and said, "Well, thank God you're done. Any more clothes and I might have thrown out my back. Come on, let's go."

Kurt looked at him questioningly before Blaine explained.

"Guess I should've told you that I kind of own the place." He winked quickly as Kurt felt his mouth fall open for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

He stuck another note on Blaine's mouth.

"_Is there anything else you haven't told me or do I just have to keep going through the day freaking out every few minutes?_"

Blaine chuckled softly and wrote a note of his own.

"_You'll just have to wait and see…_" He stuck it on Kurt's hand before exiting the store.

Kurt followed closely behind, eager to see what would come next.

Blaine had obviously called the limousine driver ahead of time because now he was handing off the clothes to him.

"…hold onto these for me, Robert?" Kurt caught the last end of the sentence as the driver said, "Of course, of course", taking the clothes back to the car before driving off again.

Kurt already had a note prepared that he attempted to stick on Blaine's hair.

"_Where to next?_" it read, with a tiny happy face.

Blaine rubbed his stomach animatedly.

"Well, I'm kind of starving to death since we skipped breakfast, so let's go grab a bite."

Kurt's stomach let out a loud gurgle in response for him, which caused him to blush as he moved a hand to his stomach.

Instead of pretending he hadn't heard, Blaine nodded and said, "That's what I thought."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand again and they walked together towards a nearby seaside café. Kurt sighed contentedly as he realized no one was even giving them strange looks or anything – like they belonged there together.

It was a lovely outdoor restaurant and they passed under iron gate frames and stood in front of the maitre'd who politely addressed them.

"Good afternoon, your majesty," he said to Blaine with a quick bow of his head. "We're honored that you are dining with us on this fine day. Please," he gestured to the open tables nearest the view of the ocean, "Take a seat wherever you like and a waiter will be with you as soon as possible."

Blaine thanked him kindly and Kurt just flashed him a polite smile.

Still holding Kurt's hand, Blaine led them over to a nice table and pulled out a chair for him. Kurt put a hand to his chest as if to say "_For me?_" before sitting gracefully in the chair. Blaine pushed it in politely before taking his own seat across from Kurt. Blaine looked out across the shimmering water.

"What a view, huh?" he asked Kurt before turning back and smiling at him.

Kurt smiled a bit sadly, but nodded nonetheless.

* * *

><p>Mercedes and Rachel had been hiding out overnight dangerously near the coast to avoid going back to the Kingdom. If they returned, the guards would swarm them and ask them questions that they didn't know quite how to answer. So they stayed away, knowing they were probably causing a lot of worry back home.<p>

They'd spent the night, taking turns keeping watch in case any search party might stray far enough away from the kingdom to find them. They'd kept Blaine's castle in their view all the while and had seen the limousine pull away first thing in the morning.

After a morning consisting of _a lot_ of swimming, and some sleuth work on Rachel's part, they'd finally located their wandering prince sitting in what looked like a seaside restaurant of sorts. This was lucky on their parts, because the boys were seated closest to water and Mercedes could hear Blaine's voice carrying down to where she swam while Rachel precariously climbed the rocks to get a better view of the couple.

"What's happening?" Mercedes whispered loudly up to Rachel who'd finally reached the top.

Rachel waved a claw at her to tell her to be quiet. "They're eating…pasta?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "I don't care what they're _eating!_ What are they _doing_?"

She shook her head to herself at Rachel's knack for pointing out worthless information.

Rachel scoffed indignantly. "Well, I was merely pointing out that at least they're not eating seafood. I don't think I could handle that!"

Mercedes rolled her eyes and waited for some useful information.

When Rachel procured none, she splashed impatiently and prompted her.

"What's happening, Rachel? You're killing me down here. Are they kissing yet?" she hissed.

"Mercedes, _please_. You heard Sue as well as I did - the kiss has to be from true love and I doubt that even Kurt has made Blaine fall in love with him after just one day."

Mercedes narrowed her eyes with frustration."Yeah, well. They'd better get a move on or I'll…I'll grow legs myself and make 'em…"

Rachel waved her into silence again. "They're holding hands! How cute!" She tilted her head to the side as she wore a dreamy expression. "He really wants this, doesn't he, Mercedes?"

"Yeah, I guess so…" Mercedes conceded sadly. "Are they talking? I can't hear anything anymore."

Rachel angled herself to get a better view. "I think they're writing to each other…that's why you can't hear anything."

Mercedes nodded slowly. "Well at least he's communicating with him instead of pantomiming everything. That wasn't workin' out for him," she chuckled to herself.

"Gosh, Mercedes, I wish you could see the look on Kurt's face. It's like he's in heaven or something. Oops! They're looking this way!"

Rachel ducked quickly out of sight and lost her footing, sending her back into the cool water with a tiny _plop_.

* * *

><p>Kurt looked to his right towards the edge of the precipice the restaurant was built on. There was an iron gate around the premises to ensure no one accidentally fell into the ocean, but he could see the edge plain as day. He could've sworn he'd seen a flash of a small crab peeking its head over the top, watching him.<p>

"_Rachel…_" he thought to himself.

But now that he was looking, there seemed to be nothing there at all. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he felt Blaine's hand covering his again.

"Is everything alright?" Blaine asked gently.

Kurt reluctantly tore his eyes away from the ledge, convinced Rachel might come back again, and looked back at Blaine. The other boy's eyes were filled with genuine concern as Kurt regained himself and gave Blaine a smile and a quick nod.

"Good," Blaine smiled back and patted Kurt's hand once more before moving his away. "What were you thinking about anyways? You looked a little…" he searched for the right word, "distressed, I guess…"

Kurt picked up his post-it pad again, quickly thinking of something appropriate to tell Blaine.

"_I was just thinking about my old friends_," he wrote.

Well, that wasn't a complete lie.

He stuck it on the edge of Blaine's plate. The other boy read it immediately and wrote back.

Kurt watched as he scrawled a response, loving that Blaine was willing to write notes to him instead of talk, which would be the easier option for him since no sea witch had taken away _his_ ability to talk lately…

Blaine interrupted his amorous train of thought by sticking his post-it on Kurt's forehead. Kurt sat there for a moment as he glared at Blaine playfully. Blaine crossed his arms and shrugged, waiting for Kurt to read his note.

He peeled it carefully off of his skin and read it.

"_What about them? Do you miss them?_"

Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat as he answered back honestly.

"_Yes, a big part of me does. But also, a part of me is relieved to be away because they didn't always understand me. But I feel guilty for feeling that way, I guess._" He didn't have to think twice as he stuck it on Blaine's jacket.

He just felt like he had no reason to hide. What he wrote wasn't even a lie; it was the complete truth. He did feel slightly guilty for enjoying himself so much with Blaine when he knew Mercedes would be missing him and maybe even Rachel too.

Blaine stuck another note on Kurt's shoulder.

"_What didn't they understand about you? I think you're great,_" it asked with a small smiley face.

Kurt couldn't conceal the smile that broke across his face before he wrote back.

"_They just couldn't understand things that I wanted to try. I'm just trying to find myself and they weren't always supportive, you know?_"

Blaine had his head turned and Kurt took advantage of it and stuck the post-it on his neck quickly.

"Hey!" Blaine laughed before peeling it off and reading it.

Kurt looked at the table; their plates had been empty for a while now, but they didn't feel the rushed need to leave just yet.

Blaine stuck his latest note into Kurt's open palm.

"_I know exactly what you mean_," it said, "_I'm starting to find myself too…and I might rock a few boats along the way, so to speak._"

Kurt looked up from the note to look across the table. Blaine's mouth twitched up into a half-smile as he looked into Kurt's eyes. Kurt took a deep breath and bravely placed his hand over Blaine's, squeezing it comfortably.

They looked at each other wordlessly in a long moment of understanding. Blaine cleared his throat nervously and stood up from the table abruptly.

"Let's get going, shall we?" he asked. Kurt smiled up at him and stood up as well. He reached down and laced his fingers through Blaine's again, partially scared that the other boy might pull away again. But Blaine let it happen this time and grasped Kurt's hand back while giving him a stunning smile.

Blaine led him out of the restaurant, nodding courteously to the maitre'd.

"Put it on my tab, Paul, will you?"

The man bowed briefly. "Of course, Blaine, of course."

Blaine waved at him. "Have a nice day!" he called as they walked away.

Kurt just looked at him in awe for a moment too long because Blaine turned back to him and caught him staring.

"What? Didn't your parents ever teach you manners?" he teased.

Kurt just rolled his eyes as they walked further into town.

* * *

><p>A few of hours later, they'd managed to catch an early movie, buy more things Kurt felt he didn't need, and secure ice cream cones.<p>

The whole movie theater experience was kind of mind-blowing for Kurt who'd never experienced anything like it back home. Apparently, people sit in front of a screen and images flash across it.

He'd been sitting there as Blaine went to go get something called "popcorn" and stared slack-jawed at the huge screen in front of him. No one else in the theater seemed to be paying attention to the pointless commercials as they waited for the film to start, but Kurt couldn't pull his eyes away from the screen.

It was all so foreign and fascinating to him. Blaine came back with the bucket of "popcorn" and sat down, just watching Kurt's reaction to the commercial playing about the concession stand.

"Don't tell me, you've never seen a movie before," Blaine guessed.

Kurt shut his mouth and stared at Blaine as if to say, "_What do __**you**__ think?_"

Blaine just tipped back his head and laughed loudly. Once he stopped, he wiped his eyes at the tears forming there from laughing so hard.

"Oh geez, I shouldn't even surprised anymore, Kurt."

Before Kurt could retort, the lights dimmed suddenly.

The movie Blaine picked was one of those horror films, which caused Kurt to be freaking out half of the time. The music was scary and added to the suspense. Kurt always tensed as the music was building, feeling afraid for the characters. His anxiety caused Blaine to hold his hand the entire movie.

Every time something popped out of no where, Kurt would jump in his seat and squeeze Blaine's hand while all Blaine did was laugh at Kurt's reactions. The other parts of the movie, Kurt was honestly confused and questioned the protagonists' intelligence.

Why would they go upstairs if the murderer was in the house? Did they plan on jumping out of a window? Why couldn't they just use the front door? If the neighbor knew that a mass murderer was on the loose, why would he take a jog in a secluded forest? It was as if they were _asking_ to be decapitated.

By the end of the movie, he was a bundle of nerves and he jumped as Blaine squeezed his shoulder.

"Let's go," Blaine said, holding out his hand yet again.

Kurt looked around and realized they were the last ones in the theater. He grabbed Blaine's hand as they walked out of the movie theater and towards town again.

"So I'll take your reaction as the fact that you enjoyed it?" Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded his head. They walked in comfortable silence for a while. Blaine took him to a couple more stores, showing Kurt things he'd never seen before. They spent a considerable amount of time in a small music store as Blaine showed Kurt countless CDs he'd never heard of.

The store had a unique system where they scanned the CD and the tracks would be previewed for them. The whole concept baffled Kurt's mind as Blaine showed him his favorite artists. Though Kurt protested again, Blaine ended up buying him a few against his will.

While they were walking towards the beach, Blaine spotted an ice cream stand to his left.

"You know what I really want right now?" he asked Kurt slyly.

Kurt raised his eyebrows and waited for an answer.

"I want…" Blaine smiled, "Some ice cream. And I'm going to go get us some."

He walked out of Kurt's reach towards the stand.

"What flavor do you want?" he called over his shoulder.

Kurt just shrugged cluelessly. Blaine stopped dead in his tracks.

"Kurt, you _have_ to be joking. You don't have a favorite ice cream flavor?"

Kurt just shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets, smiling nervously at Blaine.

"You are ridiculous," Blaine joked. "You must live under a rock," he made a funny face at Kurt before continuing to walk towards the stand.

"_You have __**no idea**_," Kurt thought to himself.

Blaine returned with two waffle cones full of ice cream.

"I got you chocolate," Blaine said like he was proud of himself, "because if you've never tasted chocolate, you're seriously missing out."

Kurt shrugged again as he licked the melting substance. As the glob of ice cream made its way down his throat, he thought he was going to die from how delicious it tasted: so sweet and cool on his tongue. Blaine had been right; he really _had_ been missing out.

"I thought so," Blaine sad smugly as he devoured his own ice cream.

They walked onto the beach as they finished up their cones. Nearby there sounded like there was a party going on in one of those beach houses because music filled the air. Blaine stooped down and pulled off his shoes, letting his feet go barefoot on the cool sand.

Kurt did the same and wiggled his toes as the sand moved through the spaces. There was a cool breeze blowing across the water and Kurt let himself stand there and enjoy the way it felt for a while.

Blaine had dropped his shoes and the bag full of CDs near a rock and was now running towards the water. He ran until the he was barely in the tide and danced around a bit from how cold the water was before standing still and throwing his arms out.

Kurt laughed because Blaine looked like he was really enjoying himself.

"What are you laughing at?" Blaine asked, laughing himself. "I love the ocean at this time of day." He did a little jig to the music coming from the party.

Kurt set down his shoes by Blaine's and walked towards the ocean. He let the water run over his feet as he took a deep breath.

Here he was at the center of his life – he stood both on land and in the water with this amazing man beside him. This was both where his life began and what it'd evolved to. He copied Blaine and stuck his arms in the air, turning his face to the wind and soaking up this perfect moment. Blaine smiled at him.

"It's great, right?" he asked, continuing to dance by himself.

The song switched to a slower one and Kurt swayed to the beat as he listened to the words floating easily towards them.

_Kiss me out of the bearded barley  
>Nightly, beside the green, green grass<br>Swing, swing, swing the spinning step  
>You wear those shoes and then we'll wear that dress.<em>

Blaine turned to Kurt, smiling.

"I love this song," he said, grabbing Kurt's hand and pulling him closer. Kurt grinned back and continued swaying lazily to the mellow song.

_Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight  
>Lead me out on the moonlit floor<br>Lift your open hand  
>Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance<br>Silver moon's sparkling  
>So kiss me<em>

Blaine took Kurt's free hand into his other until they were facing each other and standing palm to palm. Kurt bit his lip nervously as he realized just how close of a distance they were standing to each other.

If he took just half a step forward, his chest would be touching Blaine's. But he stood still, watching Blaine with a mixture of fascination and scared anticipation. Blaine started singing the words softly, chuckling a bit as he sang.

_Kiss me down by the broken tree house  
>Swing me upon its hanging tire<br>Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat  
>We'll take the trail marked on your father's map<em>

Blaine pulled Kurt close, laughing and enjoying himself. He seemed very relaxed and comfortable singing to Kurt and holding him near. Kurt felt more like himself than he'd ever felt before in his life and Blaine looked as if he was showing his true colors as well,

This moment was _real_.

Blaine kept on softly singing along, dropping his gaze to Kurt's lips.

_Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight  
>Lead me out on the moonlit floor<br>Lift your open hand  
>Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance<br>Silver moon's sparkling  
>So kiss me<em>

He pulled them deeper into the tide, laughing as the water washed up over the legs of their jeans. Kurt let out a little gasp as he felt how cold the ocean was against his flushed skin, but he couldn't help giggling himself. This was all so insane.

Blaine danced bit as the song continued into a musical break and Kurt couldn't help but move his shoulders to the beat. They spun around in a circle, still connected by the hands as they kicked up some water happily.

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hands and took a step towards him as the last chorus filled the air. His voice was a soft as he harmonized with the words and Kurt could feel his hot breath against his lips.

Was this it_?_ Was Blaine going to close those last few centimeters and kiss him?

_Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight  
>Lead me out on the moonlit floor<br>Lift your open hand  
>Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance<br>Silver moon's sparkling  
>So kiss me...So kiss me...<em>

The last notes of the song drifted away and Kurt looked down the bridge of his nose to see Blaine's mouth slowly moving toward his. His heart was pounding in his ears, reassuring him that it was beating even though Kurt was sure that he'd stopped breathing all together. His stomach was in knots as he licked his lips nervously.

He let his eyes fall closed as he felt Blaine's mouth near his own.

Their lips were about to touch when a huge wave hit them, sending them both falling to the ground.

Kurt spluttered as the salty water washed over him while he tried to regain his footing. He stood up, shaken and more than a little disappointed. Blaine was still struggling against the wave as the undertow pulled him back.

Kurt just shook his head and offered Blaine his hand which the other boy quickly accepted. He hoisted Blaine to his feet before brushing himself off as best he could. His felt his face burning red, but he couldn't help it; he'd almost kissed Blaine and now he looked like a sopping wet fool. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Blaine was bent over, shaking. Kurt looked at him curiously, wondering if he was hurt. But he realized Blaine was doubled over with a fit of infectious giggles. He stood upright, still laughing and putting a hand over his mouth.

"Did you see that?" he asked, gasping for air between spurts of laughter. "We totally wiped out!" he said again with difficulty before almost falling over from laughing so hard.

Kurt couldn't help but laugh along with him – the situation_ was_ kind of funny, after all.

Soon they were both near to tears from how hilarious the whole thing turned out to be. They gathered themselves and then took a look at one another and how their clothes were pretty much ruined before cracking up all over again.

It took them a full ten minutes to stop laughing before they walked back up shore and grabbed their belongings and started walking back towards the castle.

"Oh, man," Blaine said with a grin as he slung his arm around Kurt's shoulders. "You are way too much fun to hang out with."

* * *

><p>They finally reached the castle way later than they expected and by the time they made it upstairs, Kurt felt dead on his feet. He put his hand on the knob and smiled at Blaine, waiting expectantly.<p>

"I had…a lot of fun today, Kurt," Blaine said softly.

He pulled Kurt into a warm embrace and held him close for a second before letting him go.

Kurt opened his mouth. "_I had fun too, Blaine_" he sang softly, trilling a bit at the end of the sentence.

Blaine smiled. "I am never going to get over that," he said as he gave one last squeeze to Kurt's hand. "Goodnight," he said, as he walked down the hall to his own room.

Kurt gave him a small wave before going into his room.

He closed the door behind him and quickly changed in his pajamas, not even bothering to shower. He fell facedown into his pile of pillows and let out a sigh of frustration.

Clearly, this was going to be more difficult than he thought.

He kicked back his covers, still slightly irritated before taking deep breaths. Tomorrow would be another day; everything always looked better in the morning anyways.


	13. Princes Can't All Be Perfect

_A/N: Infinite thanks for the initial inspiration of this fic: Muchacha10! Her artwork inspired my words. I'm starting to break away from the mold and the original storyline, but I have her to thank for the initial spark! She is amazing in every way (:_

_There's Blaine back-story this chapter! Even perfect princes have chinks in their armor. Blaine's dad appears. I named him James. Doesn't it just roll off the tongue? James Anderson...I thought so, anyways._

* * *

><p>James folded his hands behind his back and narrowed his eyes at what he saw.<p>

He stood in one of the many sitting rooms throughout the castle – this one with a pristine view of the ocean. Up until a few moments ago, he'd been sitting in his favorite armchair and enjoying the sun setting over the waves.

Being so close to that day he dreaded, he'd become more pensive with the passing hours. It'd been a long day, too – four meetings with the board of representatives, a phone conference with a few businesses under kingdom command, and an endless stream of harassment from the gossip columnists.

He took a deep sigh. If he even made one wrong move, everyone was displeased. He had so much pressure on him lately, trying to smooth over whatever rumors the news decided to spread on slow news days. He had to make sure that no one got a hold of anything else that could be pinned against him.

James pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, shaking his head wearily. He was bone-tired. He just needed to unwind a bit.

That's why he'd come to his favorite sitting room in the first place. He'd been relaxing and enjoying watching the sunlight change colors from red to orange as it slowly sank down, seeming to disappear into the water.

But he'd gotten up and started pacing, letting his mind wander a bit while he had free time. That was when he saw it: two people down on the beach.

His eyesight wasn't what it used to be, so he squinted as he looked through the glass wall.

There were two boys dancing around in the water and holding hands.

He let out a displeased sigh. Boys shouldn't be holding hands. He gritted his teeth just thinking about it.

The whole thing just made James think about his son, Blaine.

Though Blaine was a man of age, he still hadn't settled down with a decent princess yet. He'd tried, in vain, a little while ago to set Blaine up with the princess from a neighboring kingdom.

She'd been a beautiful, sweet girl from what James could tell and he didn't understand what more Blaine could possibly want from a prospective wife. But on the long, tense drive home, Blaine had told him point blank that he wasn't interested in Iliana at all.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand, Blaine," James said, trying to keep his voice even. "Iliana would make the perfect wife. You two got along so well and it was no secret that she was interested."<p>

"Yeah, I know," Blaine said, sighing deeply. "That's not the problem."

They'd finally reached the kingdom again and James swiftly opened the door of the limousine before stalking angrily through the castle doors.

Blaine gritted his teeth, sensing an argument, and followed closely behind, knowing this conversation was far from over. Hiding in his room wouldn't change a thing – he knew from experience.

He walked behind his father into one of the countless ornate living rooms throughout the castle. This one was on the ground floor and tucked into the center of the castle. Blaine sank reluctantly onto the couch and leaned forward, waiting for his dad to speak.

James took a deep breath, sitting at the oak table facing his son as he folded his hands neatly on the smooth table top. He tried to make his stance appear relaxed, but he noticed how his fingers were nearly strangling one another as his knuckles turned a dark shade of read from how hard he was gripping them.

He looked up at Blaine, hoping his son would be the first to speak because he didn't think he'd be able to say anything without yelling.

He narrowed his eyes, watching as Blaine started to squirm uncomfortably from where he was seated on the couch. Blaine looked up, eyebrows furrowed as he shared a look with his father. Still, James waited.

"Dad…" Blaine started, running a hand anxiously through his hair. "I don't understand what you're so mad about….Iliana is just one girl…"

James pounded a fist against the wooden table so hard that the legs shook beneath the blow.

"_Don't understand?_" he yelled in outrage. "Blaine, how could you not understand? Iliana is not _just one girl,_" he hissed angrily. "She is, if my count is correct, the sixth girl you've turned down. What's wrong with her? Does she cross her legs wrong? Does she not use the right brand of body spray? What's your nit-picky excuse for turning her down this time?"

James felt his face burning red with rage. He noticed Blaine looking pointedly at the floor and avoiding all eye contact at all costs. But he continued yelling anyways.

"You're just going to do this to yourself? To me? To the entire kingdom?" James hands were shaking with blind fury now. "Marrying Iliana would have secured the future for the entire kingdom! It would have joined two very powerful empires and you could've benefited the people you will one day rule over. Or have you forgotten that?" he spat furiously. "Have you forgotten that it's not all about you, Blaine? Have you forgotten that you have a civic duty to take a wife and take over the throne?"

James watched, chest heaving, as Blaine still said nothing, practically burning a hole in the floor with his determined gaze.

That was one thing James simply couldn't stand; every time they were having an argument, Blaine always sat their silently and took it – never fighting back unless he was pushed hard enough.

"No, father," Blaine said stiffly, "I haven't forgotten any of that."

He could see his son struggling to keep a flat tone to his voice. "How could I forget when you remind me every day of my life?"

Blaine was gripping his knees so hard that his palms were turning sweaty from the effort. James took notice of the boy's white knuckles, but said nothing as he waited for Blaine to continue.

"I'm not interested in Iliana, okay? I'm not interested in _any_ of the girls you try to set me up with." He got up quickly and started pacing, shoving his hands deep in his pockets as his voice rose a few decibels. "Yeah, and by the way, I'm _sick_ of you trying to find me a wife. What century do you live in? The last time I checked, guys were supposed to go out into the world, find someone they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, and then bring them back. Isn't that how it's done? I'm sick of you finding 'suitable' girls. 'Appropriate' girls. 'Outstanding' girls. 'Perfect' girls! Whatever you want to call them – I'm SICK of it!"

He was gesturing wildly now as if trying to frantically convey a message to his father. James just narrowed his eyes further and gripped the sides of the table, trying to refuse to give in to the urge to flip the table over completely.

Blaine plowed on. "I'm sick of it all! Enough! Enough with the dates and the endless galas as you try, unsubtly by the way, to introduce me to the most eligible bachelorettes. I just can't take it any more!"

James opened his mouth to protest but Blaine angrily waved away his dad's attempts with a hand.

"Don't you dare say anything about the kingdom or my impending responsibilities. Don't you know what you're doing to me? Don't you know how much pressure you're putting on me? I know what I have to do. I know I was born unto privilege and privilege has its price." Blaine ran a hand quickly behind his neck, taking a deep breath. "I don't want any of it! You can have it all! You can just live forever and rule for the rest of time! Because, guess what, _I'm not interested_ _anymore_!"

"That is _enough_, Blaine!" James said, pushing his chair back and standing up abruptly. "You don't have a choice in the matter anymore. The second you became of age was the second people expected you to settle down and find a fitting bride. You can't just unwish your bloodline; you can't just try and walk away from this. You were always meant to be king – ever since you were born. There's no use wishing you were someone else now."

"Okay, but - "

"There's no more room for excuses anymore, son. You will choose a wife by this the end of this week." James hated to be tough, but this ultimatum was a long time coming.

"Dad," Blaine's knees were buckling slightly as he made his way back to the couch and lowered himself onto the cushions once more. James looked on as his son lowered his head into his hands in despair.

"Dad, please. _Please don't do this to me_." His voice was soft and James could hear him sniffling rather than see the tears that had started running down Blaine's face.

Blaine looked up, tears staining his face and eyes red. "Please…" Blaine begged quietly one last time, looking at James with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen.

"You leave me no choice, my son," James declared, hesitating, but never wavering.

"There's…there's something I need to tell you," Blaine said, eyes glistening with fresh tears threatening to brim over at any second.

"There's nothing you can say that will change my mind," James said bluntly.

"Dad…" Blaine started anyways, ignoring his father's warning. "I don't like girls."

He'd said it so softly that James thought he must've imagined that that's what Blaine said. He couldn't have possibly just put those words in that combination to form that sentence. In his old-fashioned mind it just didn't compute.

"What – w-what did you say?" James stuttered, never letting his eyes leave his son's face.

"I want to marry for love, Dad. _Love_." Blaine continued, ignoring that his father might be having a mental breakdown right in front of his eyes. "When I'm with these girls, I feel nothing. Absolutely nothing." He looked up and stared into his father's eyes again. "And I know that I should…I want to. But I just don't."

"Blaine…" James started, but Blaine threw him an annoyed look.

"Just let me get this out for once and for all, Dad!" Blaine interjected, frustrated with his father's ignorance. "These girls, they're beautiful, right? They're nice. They're funny. They're sweet. We get along great. But when I look at them – any of them – I don't get that feeling. You know, that feeling that all the movies, the songs, and the novels talk about. I feel nothing for them. I'd go as far as to say I feel _empty_ – like I'm missing something."

"Maybe you're just not trying hard enough, Blaine," James said, voice laced with subtle disgust.

"What else can I do? I'm not doing anything _wrong_, Dad!" Blaine burst out, his jaw set angrily. "I'm not interested in women! I'm just not! There's nothing you can do about it – they're nothing _I_ can do about it. I did not _choose_ to be this way just the same way that you didn't choose to be who you are."

"What are you trying to say, Blaine? I don't get it. Just spit it out already!" James cried in aggravation.

"I like guys, Dad. I'm gay." Blaine shook his head helplessly and shrugged his shoulders, which were shaking slightly. "I said it: I'm gay. Take me or leave me."

James eyes widened in shock as he collapsed into his chair once more, leaning his head against the cool of the table as the world around him seemed to be spinning.

"Dad?" Blaine said worriedly, debating on whether he should get up or not. In the end, he decided it might be best just to stay where he was and let his dad get a grip on himself.

James took another deep breath and slowly straightened up again. He couldn't even bring himself to look at his son. He felt a sense of betrayal overshadowed by a stronger feeling of repulsion.

"Dad? Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you? I'm g - "

"_DON'T_ say it again, Blaine. I don't even want to hear…that – that _word_ under my roof. Is that understood?"

"But Dad!" Blaine shouted angrily.

"Not another word, Blaine." James narrowed his eyes and curled his lip, disgusted by the mere sight of his son now. His angry gaze dared Blaine to say one more word.

It worked – Blaine ducked his head again and listened in resigned silence once more.

"You're not…you're not…_that_," James struggled with the concept still. "You're just not meeting the right women. You can't possibly know if you were – w-were…_that_ if you've never even been with…anyone but a woman." This whole conversation was difficult for James as he searched for the right words - any words but _that_ one.

"But I _am_, Dad. I _am_ g - "

"_I SAID NOT TO SAY THAT WORD UNDER MY ROOF ANYMORE, YOUNG MAN_" James roared.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Blaine looked downcast once more.

"This isn't a compromise, Blaine. I don't care what you…_think_ you are. I'm holding a ball come next Thursday and I'm inviting every eligible maiden in the land – royal or not. And you will have your choice of women. You will pick a wife that evening. End of discussion." James brought his fist down on the table with finality, as if that was that.

"Next Thursday? But that's…" Blaine looked at his father strangely.

"_I DAMN WELL KNOW WHAT NEXT THURSDAY IS, BLAINE!_" James burst out angrily, yet again.

"O-okay. I'm sorry, Dad." Blaine apologized, cringing at the sudden increase in volume of his father's voice.

"Just…just get out of my sight, Blaine. We're through here." James sank his head into his hands, feeling like he could tear out his own hair.

Blaine got up, tears silently streaking his face again. He reached up a hand hastily to wipe them away. Tears were a sign of weakness to his father. He sniffled softly as he walked away.

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Dad." He folded his arms behind his back formally, offering the half-hearted apology in a last attempt to salvage his relationship with his father.

James looked up from his hands wearily, looking as if he'd aged ten years in the last half-hour.

"I thought you were leaving," he said bluntly before turning away from Blaine.

Blaine swallowed the lump in his throat as he hovered in the doorway, unsure of quite what to do.

"Don't say I didn't try to tell you," he said simply before exiting the room and heading towards the nearest bathroom, his stomach churning.

James rubbed his forehead, feeling a splitting headache coming on. This was the way things had to be.

* * *

><p>James snapped back to the present, repressing the argument in his mind and trying to forget the whole thing. He remembered going to bed that night angry with himself for having such an ugly spat with Blaine the night before his son's birthday.<p>

But what could he do? That fight had changed both of them, there was no denying it.

He couldn't even bring himself to look his own son in the eyes anymore. He felt repulsed whenever they were in close proximity. He didn't want to act that way around his only child, but he couldn't help the way he felt.

As a result, he just avoided Blaine all together for a few days. He decided to just let Blaine's Warbler friends take him out and celebrate with him instead.

The day after Blaine's birthday, the Warblers had greeted James unceremoniously while towing a shipwrecked Blaine through the castle gates, babbling about getting caught in an awful storm.

Though he should've felt a surge of worry and he should've been fussing over his son's recovery, he couldn't bring himself to do more than pat Blaine on the shoulder when the Warblers had finally set his son up in his bed.

James had wanted to ask Blaine how he felt and if he could do anything for him. But all he could manage was a stiff "Feel better, son," before leaving his son in the care of the royal physicians.

He noticed Blaine acting a little funny after that – walking down to the beach and staying there for long periods of time; singing a song under his breath every time he walked through the halls of the castle or drifting off into thought more often than usual.

Still, James said nothing. He made the conscious decision to ignore these signs and hoped that Blaine would pull himself together and act normal – well, as close to normal as he could – once and for all.

He'd caught hearsay from the servants that Blaine had taken in a shipwrecked boy shortly after. He'd worried about _that_ plenty, losing sleep over that small fact.

But Blaine always let various members of the Warblers crash in spare rooms from time to time, so what difference should one more boy make? None – it should've made none.

James couldn't bring himself to meet the new addition to Blaine's long list of friends. Instead he buried himself further in his work and stayed tucked out of sight the few times he was actually in the castle.

He felt better about the new boy when the waiter who was bringing him his in-room meals let it slip that the new kid wasn't much of a talker. Apparently, the boy hadn't uttered a single word to anyone his entire stay. This helped James relax. Obviously if they boy wouldn't even talk to Blaine, there'd be no…funny business underneath his roof.

He let his mind wander over these thoughts as he looked back down on the couple, still standing together in the waves on the otherwise deserted stretch of beach. Yes, those were definitely two boys and they were too close for comfort in James' opinion.

The two male figures were holding hands and dancing in the waves. One moment they were dancing innocently and the next they seemed to stop all motion and move closer to one another. From where James was standing, it looked as if they were about to…kiss?

James felt his stomach turning uncomfortably at the mere thought of one boy's lips touching the other.

It was disgusting.

He couldn't even bring himself to look – the pair was dangerously close now, inches away from each other. James turned his face away and covered his eyes. This was _his_ private beach after all. He debated on whether to call the police on those two intruders who were probably performing obscene acts on his beach now.

He looked back down on the scene to see that the two boys had been knocked over by a wave and were now struggling to get up. He chuckled darkly to himself.

"_Serves those disgusting excuses for human beings right_," he thought to himself smugly.

He got a twisted sort of satisfaction seeing the wave topple over the couple and stopping their lewd actions. He was about to turn away when all of a sudden, he recognized that jacket the shorter boy was wearing.

He squinted and leaned further towards the glass wall, wishing that he had a pair of binoculars or something.

"No," he said aloud. "It can't be." He shook his head, refusing to believe what his eyes were seeing. "That can't be Blaine."

But it was Blaine – James would recognize that mop of hair anywhere. Then he could make out certain features that only time could reveal to a person; the way his son walked and the familiar way he ran his hands through his curly hair. He could make out Blaine's smile from this distance and he even recognized the way Blaine was standing, leaning slightly more on one foot than the other.

There was no doubt about it: that was his son down there. Holding hands with another boy – a boy James didn't recognize at all. This had to be the mystery man everyone was buzzing about because it certainly wasn't one of the many Warblers that had introduced themselves the James.

James' knees shook beneath his weight and threatened to send him falling to the floor from his revelation. _His son had almost kissed another man_. He carefully made his way to the armchair and fell roughly down onto it as he felt himself seeing red.

No, this simply wouldn't do.

* * *

><p>Blaine woke up bright and early in his bed, feeling more hopeful than he had in days for reasons he didn't know. He couldn't lie still – he threw the blankets back quickly, kicking them the rest of the way off before hopping out of bed.<p>

He threw a quick glance to the clock on the bedside table. It read six 'o clock.

Blaine had always been a morning person for as long as he could remember. He pranced over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of gym shorts and a ratty old t-shirt. He pulled them on quickly while lacing up his running shoes. A good morning run always put him in a good mood for the rest of the day.

After a good fifteen minutes of stretching, Blaine had made his way down to the beach where the only sounds were the waves lapping upon the shore and his feet pounding against the firm sand.

He didn't run with music like most people, because he liked to let his mind wander.

As he ran further and further upshore, he let his thoughts stray to Kurt. He couldn't help but smile to himself; who could've predicted that he'd come across someone as special as Kurt?

He felt lucky to know Kurt and he felt relieved that he'd found someone he could talk about his problems with who seemed to genuinely understand. He loved his Warbler buddies and all, but sometimes they just didn't seem to grasp all the pressure he was under. But Kurt – that boy he'd only known for a few days – seemed to know exactly where he was coming from effortlessly.

He pushed himself a little harder, extending his legs further and picking up the pace as his thoughts progressed.

And last night…last night…he'd come so close to kissing Kurt. And he'd really wanted to.

He hadn't even been thinking about it, honestly. He was just singing along with that song and Kurt had been staring at Blaine as if he was the best person in the whole entire world.

Blaine didn't know what to think. He'd wanted to kiss Kurt but he still felt…confused. He didn't want to make any moves that wouldn't be reciprocated. Maybe he shouldn't ruin the friendship they'd formed together. But he definitely felt _something_. What – he didn't know.

As he turned around to head back to the castle, he let it go. Whatever happened was going to happen – he wouldn't fight the way he felt. But he wouldn't consciously make any advances on Kurt.

Nagging feelings dug into the back of his mind though. What if his dad was right? What if he didn't like guys at all because he'd never been with one in truth?

Blaine pumped his arms faster and broke out into a sprint, trying to literally run away from those thoughts – they served him no purpose. Self-doubt would only tear him down. All he knew was that Kurt made him feel…whole again. He couldn't pinpoint the moment that he'd begun feeling empty, but meeting Kurt made him realize that he was missing something. And now that void had been filled. For now, that was enough.

He slowed down as he got near the end of the beach, feeling the blood pumping in his ears and feeling his shirt stick to his chest with sweat. As he jogged, he felt the early morning breeze coming off of the water and cooling his heated skin. He began the long trek up the hill back home.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up reluctantly, looking over at the clock sitting on the edge of the nightstand near his bed. It read eight 'o clock – early by his standards.<p>

But he could feel the sand still in his hair and smell the scent of the ocean on his skin. He rolled over and regretting not showering last night. If he had, maybe he could've stayed tucked in his sheets for a longer period of time.

But of course, he hadn't. He'd chosen to wallow in self pity until sleep overtook him. Well, now he was paying for it.

He rolled out of bed, almost losing his balance as he padded to the restroom down the hall. His room was nice, but it lacked its own bathroom – a fact that Kurt disliked very much right about now.

He reached down to turn the knob, when suddenly it moved under his hand by itself. He jumped back in surprise as Blaine came out of the bathroom, hair still wet from the shower.

Kurt's eyes widened. If he hadn't been awake before, he was _definitely_ awake now.

He felt himself turning pink as he noticed all Blaine had on was a white towel tucked around his waist.

Blaine seemed completely at ease as he flashed Kurt a smile.

"Good morning, sleepy head," he said, clapping Kurt on the shoulder.

Kurt raised his eyebrows, resenting being called a sleepy head.

"Hey," Blaine shrugged, "We can't all be lazy and sleep in until eight. Early bird gets the worm and all that."

Kurt just crossed his arms and gave Blaine a small smile as he patiently waited for Blaine to move out of the way. When Blaine finally freed up the doorway, he passed by Kurt and ruffled his hair playfully.

Kurt opened his mouth in shock as he gave Blaine an incredulous look.

"Just take a shower, young man." Blaine said, walking down the hall. "We have a big day ahead of us! A big day!" he emphasized before disappearing through the door to his room without bothering to give Kurt any further information.

Kurt took a deep breath to recover himself before disappearing into the bathroom himself, planning on taking an unnecessarily long shower just to spite Blaine.

Maybe he'd stay under the water until his fingers turned all prune-y again.

* * *

><p>He emerged from his room over a good hour later wearing his carefully chosen ensemble of a dark grey screen tee and black jeans paired with a pair of casual sneakers. The clothes themselves were simple, but it was the way Kurt wore them that made them stand out.<p>

Blaine emerged from his room around the same time, wearing a red sweater over a black shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows with dark jeans and some red lace-up sneakers.

"What do you think?" he asked, giving Kurt a spin while he continued walking down the hallway. "It's casual day today," he laughed a bit at his own lame joke.

Kurt already had his pad of post-its out and ready. He scribbled a quick note on one before sticking it boldly on Blaine's chest.

"_Obviously…_" it read. "_So are you going to tell me what these big plans are or what?_"

Blaine laughed and got out his own pad of post-its, scrawling down a reply which he stuck to Kurt's forehead before walking away.

"_Follow me, Mr. Impatient,_" was all it said.

Kurt stood rooted to the spot and waited for Blaine to notice he wasn't following. The boy was already a good ten paces away before he realized Kurt wasn't walking behind him.

"What gives?" Blaine asked playfully.

Kurt just crossed his arms and tapped his toe, waiting for more information.

"Fine," Blaine looked heavenward before trudging back to Kurt. "I want you to sing with the Warblers today."

Kurt raised his eyebrows before making out another note.

"_And how will I know what to sing?_" it asked. Kurt stuck it artfully on Blaine's forearm.

"Well," Blaine replied slyly, nudging Kurt's shoulder, "You gave those CDs a listen last night before you knocked out and slept like the dead, right?"

Kurt nodded slowly.

Truthfully, he _had_ gotten up from his pity party and put a couple of the CDs on repeat until he'd fallen asleep. He'd woken up in the early morning hours – the ones that were so early they should really count as night hours – to find the CDs still alternating in the CD-changer and the lyrics engrained in his memory. He had turned off the player hastily before falling back asleep.

Blaine nodded knowingly. "Yeah, I thought you might've. Well, we'll be singing a song from one of those CDs, so if you know it well enough, just join in. I want the Warblers to induct you as an honorary member of sorts."

Kurt felt himself blushing furiously again as he thought back to the last time he'd sung to Blaine formally – back on the beach when he was still a merman. Blaine took no notice of Kurt's embarrassment and gave him a smile of encouragement.

"You'll be great, Kurt." He nodded, sure of himself before reaching down and grabbing Kurt's hand. "Let's go. Most of the Warblers are already here."

They walked hand in hand down the hall.

* * *

><p>James happened to be out of his room and going to the kitchen to pick up some breakfast before returning to his study. He happened to be turning down the hall when he saw Blaine and the mystery boy walking down the hall towards him and <em>holding hands.<em>

He resisted the urge to scrunch up his face in disgust and managed to keep a straight face as he walked towards the boys.

"Good morning, Blaine," he said formally. He turned to the boy he didn't know yet and extended a hand politely. "Good morning…I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

Kurt's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he looked back and forth between Blaine and his dad, trying to see the resemblance.

There was a bit in the way Blaine's dad's hair was the same dark shade, but it only waved a bit here and there as opposed to Blaine's thick curls. He seemed to have the same twinkling eyes that lit up when he spoke, even now as he was giving Kurt a hard stare. Kurt quickly took his hand and shook it firmly.

He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it as soon as he thought the better of it. Singing wouldn't be a good first impression, after all.

Blaine came to his rescue and lied smoothly.

"This is Kurt, dad. He was in a really bad shipwreck a couple of days ago and we found him washed up on shore. He caught a bout of laryngitis, unfortunately. Minor case, really. But he's lost his voice for the moment."

James turned back to Kurt who had put his hand to his throat, acting as if it was sore.

"That's too bad," James said politely. "I hope the physicians are tending to you and I hope you recover quickly."

Kurt nodded in a silent gesture of thanks.

James turned his attention back to Blaine. "Son," he said stiffly, "Do you mind if I pull you away for a private word? It's urgent business, you know."

He turned from his son to Kurt. "You don't mind, do you Kurt?"

Kurt shook his head as if to say it weren't a problem at all and even pushed Blaine towards his father a bit.

"Lovely," James said, pulling Blaine towards an empty room. "I'll just borrow him for a moment," he tossed over his shoulder to Kurt who was left standing alone in the hallway.

* * *

><p>He closed the door quickly behind him, turning back to face Blaine who looked suddenly nervous as he crossed his arms, waiting for his father's speech that was sure to come.<p>

"Blaine…" his dad started, "I know…about last night."

He watched as comprehension dawned on Blaine's face and his mouth dropped open in shock.

"You mean you were _spying_ on me?" Blaine hissed furiously. "Wow, I can't even get a reprieve around here, can I?"

James crossed his own arms defiantly and puffed out his chest. "My castle, my beach, my property, my son, my concern." He ticked off each statement on his fingers.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "What's your point? I thought we already discussed this. I TOLD you, Dad. I am..."

"Don't say it, Blaine! I already know what you _think_ you are. I don't need to hear it more than once. I happen to have quite the memory, you know." He stared down his son.

"I don't want you putting yourself in that situation ever again, Blaine, do you understand me? You are forbidden to do anything with that boy out there in the hallway."

"His _name_ is Kurt, Dad," Blaine said angrily. "I thought you had an impeccable memory," he added sarcastically.

"That is enough, Blaine," James said calmly. "That _boy_ is none of my concern and you can continue hanging out with him. Just no hand-holding or…_kissing_. Just, don't." He tried pleading with his son in terms Blaine could understand. "If the press ever got a hold of you swooning over that boy…if they ever caught a picture of you two…together, do you know what they'd say? Do you know how that would ruin our reputation?"

Blaine shook his hand. "You are the only ignorant person around here for miles! The world is changing out there. Maybe g - …people like me aren't fully accepted yet, but there's reasons for us to hope. Not everyone's full of hate like you are." His eyes were full of angry tears.

"I don't hate…" James started to protest, but Blaine cut him off.

"Then tell me, _Dad_, why can't you look me in the eyes?"

James looked pointedly at his own shoes in shame. "I don't know, son. I don't know."

Blaine wiped away the hot tears that were making their way down his face. "Look at me, Dad. _Just look at me_. Please."

James swallowed loudly and kept looking at his shoes. "I can't, Blaine. I…just can't."

"Then don't bother telling me how to run my life," Blaine said, wiping at his eyes one last time before brushing past his father and making his way towards the door.

"Don't forget about our discussion, Blaine. Tomorrow is the ball. You know what that means." James looked at the back of Blaine's head as his son halted at the door.

"Whatever," Blaine said, pushing open the door and leaving his father alone in the room.

* * *

><p>Kurt had wandered a bit away from the room, trying to give Blaine and his dad as much privacy as was possible. But he'd still heard a bit of the exchanged yelling as much as he didn't want to.<p>

Of course the argument was over him – he was the only obstruction in Blaine's otherwise picture-perfect life. It was no wonder Blaine's father already hated him.

Blaine stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a little more force than he should have.

Kurt could tell he was upset, but he waited until Blaine walked over to him instead of crossing the distance himself. Blaine came up to him and tried giving him a brave smile, but it faltered a bit.

Kurt pulled Blaine close into a warm hug, letting his arms rub Blaine's back soothingly.

The other boy leaned into Kurt and wrapped his arms around Kurt too, hugging back.

They stayed like that for an immeasurable amount of time, just holding each other. Kurt didn't know exactly what words were exchanged within that room, but he did know that Blaine needed him at that moment.

So he didn't ask questions, he didn't make jokes to lighten the tension, he just held Blaine closer. He wanted to protect Blaine from the world.

Blaine stepped back from Kurt and flashed him a sad smile.

"Thank you," he said simply.

Kurt saw Blaine's dad emerging from the room. Blaine saw him too and reached down to grab Kurt's hand again, lacing their fingers together.

"Let's go, Kurt."

He pulled Kurt down the hallway once more, a smile lighting up his face once again.

Kurt just laughed along with him and allowed himself to be led into the hall where a bunch of boys were waiting for them.


	14. One of the Guys

_A/N: Infinite thanks for the inspiration to the one and only Muchacha10. Her Klaine artwork continues to make me weak in the knees._

* * *

><p>"Guys don't!" Wes yelled as another vase went sailing through the air.<p>

He lunged towards it as it went sailing just out of Jeff's outstretched hands. With lightning like-reflexes, Wes hit the floor and caught the vase in his arms as he landed with a thud.

With it tucked safely in his hands, he let out a sigh of relief and sagged into the carpet beneath him. That was too close.

"I'll just take that then," Thad said, snatching the vase out of Wes' hand and tossing it up into the air to himself.

Wes sprang to his feet angrily, pausing to dust off his jeans. He waited until Thad threw the vase up again before snagging it out of thin air and clutching it to his chest.

"Enough," he said, dusting off the vase and putting it back on a nearby table where it would be safe from any future games of catch.

Wes looked around the room at all the Warblers, narrowing his eyes as he did.

"That's like the tenth decoration you guys have tossed around today alone. _I will have order_." He looked into each Warbler's face seriously.

"Oh, Wes," Cameron said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You take everything too seriously! We were just messing around. Right guys?" He addressed the rest of the boys with his last line.

The group shouted their agreement.

"Lighten up, Wes!"

"We were just playing a game!"

"It's all in good fun…"

"…never meant any harm…"

"Okay!" Wes said, his arms cutting through the air to signal the group to stop talking. "We already have to explain the lamp you guys broke ten minutes ago. I don't need to add anymore collateral damage."

Jeff looked sheepish as he started nervously drawing circles in the floor with his foot.

"It was an accident, Wes…" he said, turning slightly pink.

"Yeah, well, I shudder to think what that 'accident' costs!" Trent came to Wes' defense, crossing his arms.

"Well it's not like Blaine doesn't have lamps to spare…" Jeff said sarcastically. But he stopped talking once Trent gave him a stony glare.

Nick sat on a couch, calmly flipping through a magazine, used to the shenanigans of the Warblers this early in the morning.

"Calm down, you guys," he said, putting in his two cents as he turned a glossy page. He saw a pair of shoes he quite liked and made a mental note to look them up later.

He lowered the magazine when he realized all of the Warblers were staring at him.

"What?" he asked defensively. "We're here because Blaine wanted to rehearse a song and you're all fighting like a bunch of kids in heat." He smiled at his little analogy before going on. "I bet none of you practiced your parts anyways and you'll have the nerve to wonder why you don't have a solo." He arched his eyebrows as his words sunk in before returning his attention to the magazine.

"I beg your pardon!" David interjected. "Blaine is the best of us – everyone knows that."

The group nodded their agreement as David went on.

"Not to say we aren't all talented in our own ways," he puffed out his chest proudly and smoothed down the front of his shirt, "but Blaine's worked hard for the top spot and I, for one, whole-heartedly think he deserves it."

"Hear, hear!" someone shouted, causing the rest of the boys to shout in agreement as well.

Flint sat at a marble top table eating a donut that the waiting staff had kindly set out for the ever-ravenous boys.

"Yeah, well," he said, crumbs falling out of his mouth, "We've been waiting here forever. When's our little prince going to grace us with his presence?

Wes looked at Flint, scrunching up his face in disgust. "Stop being a pig, man."

Flint only chewed with his mouth open wider to annoy Wes, getting a laugh from the other boys.

"Make me," he said.

Wes shook his head and turned away from him.

"Blaine will be here soon enough. I mean, he's the one who called us here, so…"

"Good morning, gentlemen," Blaine entered the room with Kurt in tow, their hands still intertwined.

This didn't escape the notice of the group. Several pairs of eyebrows shot up and Nick could feel himself smirking along with half of the room.

"Good morning," some of the Warblers chorused back.

"You all remember Kurt," Blaine said, turning to the boy beside him and bestowing a beatific smile on him. He swung their clasped hands back and forth a bit as he turned back to the room.

"Oh, we remember Kurt all right," Jeff said, grinning mischievously at the couple. "Looks like you two are, uh, getting along splendidly." He looked pointedly at their hands.

"Oh" Blaine said, reflexively releasing Kurt's hand as he blushed furiously and ducked his head. "He…I mean we…it's just…" he trailed off awkwardly as Kurt started coloring with embarrassment as well.

Nick put down his magazine and walked up to Kurt, slinging his arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Hey, Blaine. Don't worry about it. If you like Kurt, then we like Kurt." He shook Kurt a bit for emphasis. "He's practically one of us now."

The rest of the room cheered as Blaine just turned an even more interesting shade of red.

He opened and closed his mouth wordlessly before managing to choke out, "I – I never said I _liked_ him. I mean, n-not like _that_."

Trent came to his rescue. "All of this is irrelevant. I was under the impression that we gathered here to rehearse music? You know, the whole point of the Warblers?"

Blaine smiled and nodded. "Yeah we are. I'm glad you all could make it on such short notice. But, as you know, my dad is throwing a ball tomorrow…" He swallowed, thinking back on their latest argument. His brow creased with unspoken worry.

"Blaine, are you okay?" Wes asked, giving him a questioning gaze.

Blaine cleared his throat and adjusted the hem of his shirt nervously. "Fine. My dad just…lectured me a bit before I got here. That's what took us so long to come downstairs."

"Yeah, sure it was…" Jeff said under his breath. He was cut off when David elbowed him in the ribs causing him to double over and rub his side instead of making snide remarks.

No one else appeared to hear him though as Wes interjected. "Don't listen to your old man, Blaine. He's too tough on you – you've got enough to worry about."

The Warblers started buzzing in agreement, exchanging insults about the king.

Blaine chuckled and shook his head, holding up hands to silence the rowdy crowd. "Okay, I get it," he said. "You guys are the best. Honestly, I'm fine. I can deal with him myself."

"Like hell you can!" Flint yelled from the table. "We'll knock some sense into him," he joked.

Blaine just shook his head again. "Honestly. It's all under control. I'm just concerned because we're all supposed to perform a few numbers tomorrow evening at the ball and we haven't done much rehearsal since…well, since my birthday, to be frank."

The Warblers exchanged guilty looks as the truth of his words resonated with them.

Nick protested. "But Blaine! You went down with your yacht and Kurt there saved you!" He gestured towards Kurt as he went on. "I mean, you're just lucky you're _alive_. Forgive us if we 'took a few days off' to let you recuperate."

"Well when you put it like that, it all sounds nice and swell." Blaine shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm thankful that you all wanted me to 'recover', as you claim. But I'm none worse for wear, so that's not really a valid excuse anymore. It's time to work some Warbler magic."

"Well we're not short on _that_," Andrew shouted from where he stood behind the couch.

The group collectively nodded and muttered their amused side comments, confident as always.

"We'll just run through a few songs and decide on the set list for tomorrow night then," Wes said, taking over authority.

He turned to Blaine, "Was there a particular song you wanted to run through?"

Blaine took a deep breath, "Yes, I'd like to practice the number we were working on last week."

The group nodded in unison, they knew exactly what song Blaine was talking about, as he went on.

"…And I was wondering…if you would possibly let Kurt sing the second part with me."

Outrage surged throughout the room.

Several of the boys' mouths hung open in blatant shock while others let out audible gasps of confusion. Flint had brought his fist down on the table indignantly while others abruptly stood from where they were calmly seated moments ago.

Blaine held out his hands and opened his mouth to defend himself, but he was overtaken by shouting.

"…I have been in the Warblers since _high school_…"

"…only known the guy for three days…"

"…don't even know if he can sing…"

"Other people deserve this chance…"

The only Warbler, in fact, who didn't seem to be having a mental breakdown was Nick who continued to stand quietly with his hands clasped together in front of him. While the other Warblers yelled impatiently over one another, he waited for Blaine to explain himself.

Blaine's jaw was set angrily as he rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Okay!" he shouted over the mayhem. "That's enough! Let me say my piece first, why don't you?"

Wes conjured a gavel from his back pocket and slammed it on the nearest table.

"Order! I said order, men!"

The room fell silent, respecting the all-too familiar gavel. All eyes turned to Wes, attentive now that they'd had their outbursts.

"Much better," Wes said, putting the gavel back in his pocket. "Blaine, you may have the floor."

Blaine nodded gratefully towards Wes before taking a small step forward.

"Thank you, Wes. Warblers," he addressed the room, "I know you have never heard Kurt sing. But I have. And he has one of the best voices I've ever heard in my life."

Trent raised his hand swiftly.

"Yes, Trent?" Blaine called on him.

"How do we know that you're not just, er, biased?" he asked Blaine carefully.

Blaine considered the question for a moment before speaking again.

"Have I ever led you wrong, guys?" he asked, appealing to the group as a whole.

Some murmurs of agreement broke out along with some mutters of "…well there was that one time…"

"I mean when it really mattered?" Blaine tried again. The group softened up a bit as they started to agree with him.

"Okay, so you're saying this will be like a test run of sorts? Kind of like an audition?" David asked Blaine.

All eyes snapped to Kurt, looking him up and down, not quite sure what to think as the men waited for Blaine's deliberation. Kurt gulped nervously and glanced at Blaine, suddenly panicked at the prospect of singing.

Blaine turned to Kurt and nodded confidently.

"Sure. An audition. Risk-free. If you guys don't agree, we won't go through with it. _But_," he turned back to the Warblers, a smug tone in his voice, "if you _do_ like him, he's officially a Warbler. Deal?"

The group exchanged glances, searching for a unanimous agreement.

Kurt's shoulders tensed in anticipation, expecting immediate rejection. When none came, he frowned in bewilderment. No one seemed to be protesting anymore, but shrugging as if to say "Why not?"

Wes looked around the room, taking in the reactions as well. He nodded, more to himself than to the room.

"The room stands undivided then," he said to Blaine, then to Kurt. "Let's do it."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's shoulders reassuringly as the Warblers rearranged themselves comfortably around the room. He whispered the name of the song directly into Kurt's ear discreetly.

"If you don't know it well enough, I can change the song," he hastened to assure Kurt.

Kurt shook his head, he knew the song well. It had been one of his favorites. He was more concerned with impressing the group than remembering the lyrics, honestly, but he felt more sure of himself than before.

Blaine dropped his hands from Kurt's shoulders and nodded to the group, signaling that the two leads were ready.

Wes counted off the beat before beginning to sing what sounded like octave notes. With each note, a new boy joined in, harmonizing effortlessly. Blaine started the first verse, his voice filling the room easily.

_Keep drinking coffee, stare me down across the table  
>While I look outside<em>

He gestured to Kurt to pick up the verse where it left off. Kurt nodded along with the beat before taking a deep breath and beginning to sing.

_So many things I'd say if only I were able  
>But I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by<em>

_You've got opinions, man  
>We're all entitled to 'em, but I never asked<em>

Blaine took over the next part.

_So let me thank you for your time, _

_And try not to waste anymore of mine  
>Get out of here fast<em>

The group broke off from staccato notes to smooth dulcet tones as the two boys sang the bridge to the chorus together.

_I hate to break it to you babe, but I'm not drowning  
>There's no one here to save<em>

_Who cares if you disagree?  
>You are not me<br>Who made you king of anything?  
>So you dare tell me who to be?<br>Who died and made you king of anything?_

None of the boys were questioning Kurt's voice anymore as they heard how well it meshed with Blaine's smooth tones. The group of boys started dancing together as they started feeling the music more and more, switching back to harmonizing the staccato octave notes. Blaine moved to the center of the room, commanding the floor as he took the next verse.

_You sound so innocent, all full of good intent  
>You swear you know best<br>But you expect me to jump up on board with you  
>And ride off into your delusional sunset<em>

Kurt stepped next to him, letting his voice grow louder as he felt more confident. He didn't feel like a visitor in that moment, but like he actually belonged.

_I'm not the one who's lost with no direction  
>But you'll never see<em>

_You're so busy making maps with my name on them in all caps  
>You've got the talking down, just not the listening<em>

The two boys faced each other, singing with smiles on their faces as the bass voices grew louder with conviction for the chorus. The group clapped along to the beat.

_And who cares if you disagree?  
>You are not me<br>Who made you king of anything?  
>So you dare tell me who to be?<br>Who died and made you king of anything?_

Kurt stepped forward as the Warblers lowered their voices, singing from his heart rather than from memory.

_All my life I've tried to make everybody happy  
>While I just hurt and hide<br>Waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn to decide_

Wes, Nick, and Trent began harmonizing the octave notes again as the group brought back the chorus. Blaine had been looking at Kurt in awe, but joined in again just in time.

_Yeah, yeah_

_Who cares if you disagree?  
>You are not me<br>Who made you king of anything?  
>So you dare tell me who to be?<br>Who died and made you king of anything?_

Kurt harmonized over Blaine, singing some impressive runs as the group kept jamming together 'til the end.

The boys clapped hands, slammed on tables, and stomped on the floor in time to the beat, fueled by pure adrenaline from the performance as they brought back the last chorus. Blaine echoed Kurt's voice for effect.

_And who cares if you disagree?  
>You are not me<br>Who made you king of anything?  
>And you dare tell me who to be?<br>Who died and made you king of anything?_

The harmonizing went down again as the boys sang octave tones again one by one, passing along the note from one boy to the next. Kurt mimicked taking a crown off Blaine's head as he sang:

_Let me hold your crown, babe_

Blaine sang a few last runs, Kurt joining in at the end as the song winded down to a precise close, the last notes fading off.

The group exchanged pleasantly surprised looks before cheering loudly and closing in on Kurt. They hoisted him onto a couple of their shoulders, bouncing him up and down as they chanted his name rowdily.

Kurt allowed himself to be lifted into the air as he laughed along with them. It felt good to be accepted for a change.

When they finally put him down, the boys moved to Blaine, slugging his shoulders and joking about why he'd kept Kurt's voice to himself this whole time.

Blaine pushed them off, laughing.

"I told you so!" was the only explanation he offered.

When they settled down a bit and stopped converging on him, he brushed off his shoulders and smiled at Kurt.

"I told you…Kurt is…well, he's special." His gaze turned to one of adoration as Kurt gave him a stunning smile.

"Oh, I'm sure he is…" Jeff muttered before ducking quickly to avoid a hand aimed for the back of his head.

He stood up quickly, jeering at David who was the owner of the perpetrating hand. His success was short-lived as Wes' hand came in contact with his head from the other side. Jeff narrowed his eyes as he rubbed the mark sourly.

"I mean, _wow_, Kurt," Nick said, patting Kurt on the back enthusiastically. "Your voice is so amazing. You could've passed as a real member of the Warblers!" The group buzzed their approval.

Nick turned to Blaine. "Dude, you have to give him a solo. With those pipes, he could definitely kill a number for us tomorrow. Didn't you say you were looking for a soloist for the, erm, first part of the day?" His eagerness died down as he awkwardly ended his question.

Blaine smiled kindly at Nick, noticing his discomfort. "Don't worry about it, Nick," he addressed the boy, "You're right, I was looking for the perfect soloist. Looks like I've found my man." He placed a hand lightly on Kurt's arm.

The group waggled their eyebrows and coughed suggestively at Blaine's unfortunate choice of words.

"Oh, grow up!" Blaine joked. "I'll just run it past him – privately. Were there any other numbers you wanted to go over?" He looked towards Wes expectantly.

"Well, I think we all feel pretty confident in that number and the other ones. We'll take a break as you step outside and, uh, talk to Kurt. Then, if you still want to go over the set list, we'll rehearse."

Blaine nodded solemnly, agreeing with Wes.

"Okay, then. Let's break. Kurt, let's talk for a minute." He grabbed the other boy's hand again unconsciously as he led him towards the wooden doors.

The Warblers broke out in choruses of "_oooh_" and a midst of catcalls.

Blaine just chuckled and rolled his eyes affectionately at his friends as he and Kurt entered the hallway. He even closed the doors behind him to avoid eavesdropping, which the Warblers were famous for.

"_So what's tomorrow anyways?_" Kurt sang, forgetting for a moment that he was still under the effects of his potion. He dropped his face in his hands in embarrassment.

Blaine just beamed at Kurt easily, ignoring his singing and just answered the question.

"I guess I haven't told you everything." He hesitated for a moment, taking a shaky breath before going on. "Tomorrow is the anniversary of my mom's death. I know it sounds grim, but she's been gone for a long time." He searched Kurt's eyes for understanding and was relieved when he found it there in those light blue orbs.

Kurt nodded sadly and waited for him to go on.

"It became a tradition, shortly after she passed, for the kingdom to join together on…that day. She was well-respected and the whole kingdom wanted to be a part of celebrating her life rather than mourning her death, I guess you could say. So it turned into a big thing and the day's even named for her, actually. As you know, the evening consists of a ball for all of our friends and family where we gather together and remember her and remember how she brought us all together. That part's not so depressing. But the morning part is actually kind of a bleak vigil where everyone goes to visit her grave. You know, lighting candles, leaving flowers, the whole nine yards. I was looking for a soloist to sing while everyone pays their respects to her…I wanted to do it myself…but I don't think I can handle it." He broke off, voice wavering.

Kurt took Blaine's hands in his again, squeezing them comfortingly. He gave the struggling boy a weak smile.

"_Blaine_," he sang softly and slowly, "_I lost my mom, too. A while ago_…"

Blaine looked up quickly, snapping out of his own reverie and looking at Kurt in concern.

"Oh my gosh, Kurt," he said, bringing their joined hands closer to his chest, "I had no idea…I'm so sorry."

Kurt shook his head fiercely, ignoring Blaine's apologies. "_You didn't know. Just like I didn't know._"

Blaine nodded, "That's true." He paused before continuing, "So, do you think you could sing tomorrow morning? If it's too much pressure, then don't worry. I can always get some of the Warblers to do it…" he trailed off as Kurt pulled him into a sudden hug.

There are some moments when words won't suffice. There are moments in life where a few syllables won't fix anything. As Kurt held Blaine to him tightly, he was trying to tell him "_I'm here for you. I'll do this for you – I'll carry this burden for you_."

Blaine seemed to get the message loud as clear as he leaned into Kurt, resting his head on Kurt's shoulder and taking a deep breath as he held the other boy close, almost desperately. They stayed that way for a minute, just holding each other before Kurt stepped back and nodded silently.

He remembered his post-it notes and wrote a quick one that he stuck it on Blaine's sweater.

"_I have the perfect song…_"

* * *

><p>A whole set list of rehearsal and a loud lunch – where it seemed more food was being thrown than consumed – later, Kurt was in his room again. He'd told Blaine that he needed a nap.<p>

Well, it was partially true. He wanted a moment to himself to think about everything he learned today.

He opened the doors of his balcony and faced the afternoon sun which was hovering poignantly over the ocean water. There was a strong breeze, so he crossed his arms against it, almost hugging himself.

So he and Blaine had yet another thing in common – they had both lost their mothers at a young age.

The thought led him back to his own home, to his own father. His hand flew instinctively to his neck to touch his shell necklace. He felt a flash of intense panic as he realized it wasn't there. His heart grew heavy as he realized it hadn't been there for days, but he was just noticing that it was gone.

He started to silently cry. How could something that meant so much to him a few days ago have gone missing and completely escaped his notice? He sniffled loudly as he thought about how it was probably somewhere in the ocean – somewhere back home. It was probably lost, never to be found again.

Would he suffer the same fate? No one but Rachel and Mercedes knew where he was and he hadn't even seen _them_ in a couple of days. Who even knew where to find him anymore?

Home was supposed to be a place that you could always pinpoint easily. When you were away, you were thinking of how far away from it you were. When you were there, you felt a sense of security.

When he did this deal, did he lose a home? If he, somehow, succeeded, he would live here with Blaine for conceivably the rest of his life. No one would even know what he was leaving behind. No one would know what he'd given up to be here – it'd be like he was always human. If he failed, he belonged to Sue, never to return to his own kingdom ever again.

He hadn't bargained for that.

His fingers ran across his empty neck. So where was home now? When had home stopped being a place and started being a person?

When he was with Blaine he felt like he was home. When he looked into those deep brown eyes, when his fingertips were brushing against Blaine's, when they were singing together – all of that made him feel like he was home.

But he also had felt at home with his friends in Glee club – with Mercedes, with Finn, with his father. And, okay, even with Rachel sometimes. It was all so confusing and complicated now.

How could he ever choose between these two worlds, between these two lives? He wiped the tears from his eyes hastily, biting back a sob.

However he'd gotten here, there was no turning back now. The only thing he could do was try to do what he came to do – win over Blaine. Singing tomorrow would certainly aid his efforts and the ball wouldn't hurt either, especially when he remembered the suit he'd bought especially for the occasion.

This was the way things had to be, this is what he had to do.

He closed his balcony doors and flopped facedown on the bed, hoping that sleep would find him before Blaine knocked on his door for dinner.

He felt his eyelids growing heavy as his head pounded from the headache he'd just given himself. The last thing he thought of before slipping into unconsciousness was Blaine laying on the beach beneath him from a far simpler time…

* * *

><p><em>AN: __I can't take credit for the song choice. I was scrolling on tumblr the other day and __**swishandflicker**__ put up the song saying it'd be perfect for Blaine. I found it even MORE fitting for Blaine AND Kurt in this fic. And I love Sara Bareilles, really I do, but I love the __**Sam Tsui**__ version of "King of Anything" waaaay more. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look up that boy on youtube and you will understand __**EVERYTHING**__. Perfect Warbler's song!_


	15. Memories Long Forgotten

_A/N: I'm so grateful to Muchacha10 for drawing the Klaine pictures that inspired this fic. It makes me so happy to write this for you all and I just really hope it shows._

_The __first half__ of day four got so obscenely lengthy that I had to cut it down into two chapters. I'm uploading them both at the same time so put away your pitchforks and torches (hardy har har)._

* * *

><p>Burt woke with a start, eyes flying open as he thrashed beneath the sheets.<p>

He sat up quickly and took in a deep breath as he squinted through the darkness, trying to gather his surroundings. He felt a momentary flash of panic as he realized the room he was in wasn't his own. He shook his head as he remembered that he was sleeping in his son's room tonight.

Kurt had been gone for almost four days now. The entire kingdom had been out on a massive search party for the first couple of days, but when the third day rolled around with no sign of the prince, most people had given up all hope.

Though no one wanted to cease searching and no one wanted to tell Burt that he should give up, slowly the number of searchers decreased.

Many people came to visit him and offer their condolences, as if his son had died rather than run away. Day in and day out he heard his friends say that Kurt was sure to return sooner or later; that he just _had_ to.

But Burt knew the truth - Kurt didn't _have_ to do anything.

He'd driven his son away and now he had no idea where he was. He had to face the reality that he might never see his son ever again. After all, if Kurt had made it nearly four days on his own somewhere, he was obviously doing fine on his own. Why would he return home where he felt unwanted?

Burt felt ashamed of himself. It was his fault that his own son – his own flesh and blood – felt _unwanted_.

He just wanted his son to come back so he could tell him how much he loved him and how proud of him he was.

That was the funny thing about life – you never appreciated the people in your life until they left.

Burt looked a mess; he hadn't slept for days and he'd hardly been eating at all. All of his efforts were put into either trying to find Kurt or driving himself insane with worry.

He couldn't deny that he pictured Kurt's lifeless corpse in moments of weakness, but he couldn't think like that; he had to remain strong. He knew in his heart that his son was alright.

Being in Kurt's bedroom was strangely comforting. He could look at all of Kurt's possessions and remember when times were simpler. He glanced over to his son's beloved vanity and saw the comb that lay there. Though it looked unimportant, it was actually one of Kurt's favorite things.

Burt remembered when his wife was still alive and how she used to sit at the edge of Kurt's bed and let him comb her hair over and over again while they talked.

The memory made Burt smile; she'd run it through Kurt's dark hair, similar to her own, just before tucking him in.

Burt sighed as lay down again and turned away from the vanity. Those times were long gone. Kurt was just a boy when his mom passed away and he didn't fully understand what was happening. Burt remembered how his son used to come up to him in the middle of the night and ask if mommy was coming home soon.

Though it broke Burt's heart every single time, he had to bend down to Kurt's eye-level and explain that no, mommy wasn't coming back – no matter how much they wanted her to.

Before Kurt's mom had passed, she'd given her only son the comb because he enjoyed it so much. She also gave him her favorite shell necklace to wear. It was funny how she always knew what Kurt needed, but it took Burt much longer to understand their son.

When she died, it was just the two of them left. They depended on each other more than anyone else in the world. It was only recently that they'd begun drifting apart. When Kurt had become more subdued and more withdrawn, Burt had felt more alone than ever. His son was all he had; it killed him that there was distance between them.

But, of course, they'd both become used to drifting apart. Neither of them did anything to bridge the gap, though they should have. It just felt like each passing day that Burt said nothing, the chasm grew wider and wider until he felt like he couldn't even try to reach his son on the other side.

When had they become content with being strangers?

And now this – now he was quite literally alone and content to comfort himself by sleeping in his son's bed. The son he'd driven away; the son he hadn't bothered to understand until it was too late.

He closed his eyes, pushing those thoughts away and tried to get some sleep.

Maybe tomorrow would be the day his boy returned home.

* * *

><p>Kurt watched as the teeth of the comb left perfectly straight trails down the back of his mother's soft, brown hair.<p>

With each stroke of the comb, he let his fingers run through her hair, careful not to tangle it between them. He focused his attention on a stubborn knot at the end of her strands, lifting the hair in his hand so that it wouldn't tug on her scalp and hurt her.

After a few desperate swipes, the knot came undone and he was able to run the comb through again with ease. He couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself for handling the miniature disaster so well.

"Kurt, you're the best hair dresser I know," his mom said fondly.

"Am I really?" he asked, turning his attention to the next section of her hair and splitting it into three. He began weaving them – over, under, over and under – forming a neat braid.

She giggled a bit at her darling boy. "Yes, you are. You should be a hair dresser when you grow up. I bet you would be really good at it."

He frowned a bit as his hands paused for a moment. "Mommy, isn't that a…girl thing? I'm not a girl."

She turned to face him and smiled down on him affectionately. "Kurt, listen carefully to what I'm about to say, okay?"

"Okay," he said, snuggling up to her side and waiting for her to speak again.

"There is no such thing as a 'girl thing' or a 'boy thing'. The only 'thing' that matters is whatever makes you happy."

She watched as his mouth fell open in surprise. No doubt she was going against everything his four-year old mind had ever thought to be true.

"But…" Kurt's face was scrunched up with confusion. "That's not what the other kids say. They say I'm…different."

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, kissing his forehead.

"Kurt, you're not different. You're wonderful. And do you know what? You can be whatever and whoever you want to be."

"I can be?" Kurt asked excitedly, lighting up again from her words.

"Yes, you can be. I promise." She stuck out her pinky in a gesture of assurance.

He linked his pink with hers and gave it a small squeeze.

"Cool!" he exclaimed, content once again.

She picked up the comb he discarded and started going through his messy hair. Of course, all the locks were tangled together from a full day of swimming around and playing. She gingerly picked through the knots until it was smooth once more.

"Mom?" Kurt asked as she continued combing.

"Yes, my love," she answered.

"What do you think about…about humans?" The last part of the question came out as almost a whisper as he hung his head in shame at his rash change of subject.

"Well, what about them?" she answered diplomatically.

"Do you…like them? Because I think they're awesome." Kurt couldn't help but get a little excited as he thought of the human world.

"Of course I like them. Just because we don't live amongst them doesn't mean I can't respect them, Kurt."

Kurt nodded. "That makes sense, Mom. But some people don't like them. They say humans are stupid or dangerous. Is that true?"

She squeezed his shoulders kindly. "That's not true at all, darling. I think '_some people_' are just afraid of people they don't fully understand. Just because we don't know humans as well as we know our own people doesn't make them any lesser of beings. In fact, I think they're quite similar to us. Except we don't have legs." She winked at Kurt as she playfully tugged at his fin.

He giggled. "Stop it, mom! That tickles!" he screeched as he half-heartedly tried to pull away.

She pulled him into a hug before releasing him again.

"Okay, mister. What do _you_ like about humans?" she asked, poking his nose.

"I don't know. I guess I like the way they dance and run all day long. I can't do that stuff. But they can swim even though they don't have fins like us. They can do everything!" His eyes grew wide with excitement.

"Of course they can, Kurt," she agreed kindly while patting his hair. "Of course they can."

"Mom?" Kurt piped up once again after a short pause.

"Yes?" She rubbed his shoulders, waiting for the next question.

"Do you think…do you think I'll ever meet…a human?" He looked up at her, eyes sparkling with a hint of hope.

"Well, I don't know if you will…" Kurt's face fell at her answer. She put a finger underneath his chin and tipped it upwards so he was looking at her again. "But I hope you do. I hope you meet a human and that they're really nice to you. I hope you make great friends with them even if you have differences."

Kurt's smile lit up his face again. "Thanks, Mommy. You always know what to say."

She laughed. "That's because I'm a mom, silly. Mothers know best." She hugged him quickly for a moment. "Kurt I want you to have something."

He looked at her in shock. It wasn't his birthday – why was he getting a gift?

When he pointed that fact out to his mom, she just chuckled.

"I want you to have this because I love you." Her hands moved to clasp of her necklace as she quickly undid it and slid if off her neck.

Kurt's eyes widened. That necklace was his favorite piece of jewelry under the deep blue sea and now she was holding it out to him.

"Really, Mom? You want me…to have _this_?"

She put it around his neck and secured it there before letting her hands drop. "Think you can take care of that for me?" she asked him, a smile playing at the edges of her lips.

"Are you kidding? I'll never take it off! I can't believe you're letting me have this." He touched the shell pendant and ran his fingers over the pearls slowly.

"When you wear it, I want you to remember that, no matter what anyone says, you are wonderful. And as long as you wear it, I'll be with you. I promise." She smiled as he continued feeling the beads.

"Well I'm always going to wear it no matter what. And you'll always be with me anyways, right, Mom?" he looked up from the necklace, grinning up at her.

"Yes. Always. Now let's get you all tucked in for bed. It's late."

Kurt lay down in his bed and allowed himself to be covered with his sheets even though he didn't think he felt tired yet. His mouth betrayed him as it opened in a wide yawn.

"Goodnight, Kurty. I love you." She bent close and kissed his cheek.

He smiled at the nickname before saying, "I love you too, Mommy."

The scene changed and Kurt felt himself growing older and taller though the bed stayed the same. Soon he'd outgrown his childhood bed and was spilling over the edges of it as the room remained the same. His mom was still there, standing over him. But instead of looking warm and loving as she had a moment ago, she looked ominous.

Her skin was no longer soft and smooth, but cracked like broken glass and wrinkled at the edges. She looked old and fragmented.

Kurt blinked up at the worn vision of his mom and began to associate her with fear for the first time in his life.

He reflexively tried to shift away from her, but he was trapped in the sheets of the too-small bed.

"Mom?" he asked in horror, his stomach clenching terror.

"My boy," she said, her face contorting into an evil grimace. "My darling boy." She reached towards him with a decayed arm, causing him to flinch and hit his head against the headboard.

She recoiled, seeing that he was afraid. Her eyes narrowed into slits, nothing more than red orbs.

"You've forgotten me, Kurt. You don't even recognize your own mother."

"What? No. Of course I recognize you! I could never forget you. I love you." He was torn between his feelings of repulsion and those of longing.

"Then why won't you let me hold you? I just want to hold you like I used to…" She started towards him again.

"But…" Kurt spluttered, still trying to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. "But…y-you're…you're…"

"I'm what, Kurt?" she demanded. "_Tell me what I am_."

"You're…_dead,_" he whispered.

She paused, seeming to understand for a moment. But her angry demeanor did not falter.

"Is that why you've betrayed me, Kurt? Because I'm _dead_?" She asked bitterly, almost hissing.

"W-what? I haven't betrayed you! What are you talking about?" His eyes began to water as he tried desperately to understand.

"That's funny. Because I see you're not a merman anymore." She stared pointedly at his lower half.

For the first time, Kurt looked down at where his legs were supposed to be. But instead, he looked like he got caught in the middle of a transformation. His right leg was, indeed, a leg, but it was covered in scales and his toes were nothing but webbed flesh. The other appendage he didn't quite know what to call; it was like half of a deformed fin.

His heart was pounding in his chest as tried to move his foot, but he couldn't feel the movement. He cried out in horror.

"What's happened to me? What is this? This isn't how it's supposed to be!"

"Oh, do you mean you were supposed to have _legs_?" She narrowed her eyes again in disgust.

"How did you know…" he started to ask, but she cut him off.

"Don't you think I know my own _son_?" she wailed. "Don't you see what you've done to yourself?"

"I just…I was just trying…"

"So which are you, son? Are you a merman or a human?" She was towering over him menacingly, her lips curled.

"I don't know, Mom! I don't know anymore…" He broke off into sobs. "I…I-I'm…s-sorry." He tried to reach for her hand, but this time it was she who pulled away.

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way, son…" she said, backing away slowly.

Kurt's vision was blinded by tears, but he tried groping his hand towards her again. "Mom, please…_d-don't leave me again_."

"I told you I'd always be with you…" she said sadly from further away. "I can only be with you if you want me to be…" Her voice was trailing away.

"Mom!" Kurt cried, "Please don't go! I always want you with me!"

He wiped at his eyes, trying to see where she went. She was drifting in the corner of his room, tears streaming down her wasted-away face.

"Mom…" he whispered. He tried to move, but the bed was growing smaller by the second, making it impossible for him to escape.

He stopped when a familiar face loomed out of the darkness. Sue.

Kurt struggled, but found his arms suddenly held down by two eels, wound tightly around him.

"Sue." Kurt glared at her, still trying to break free to no avail.

"You failed, Kurt," Sue said, coming up to his bedside and looking down on him. "You failed your mom, your dad, your kingdom, and yourself."

"What are you talking about?" he asked warily.

She swiftly pulled out a knife and ran her fingers lovingly along the sharp blade.

"To be blunt…" she said, turning her eyes back to Kurt, "Your time is up."

Before he could respond, she was holding the blade against his neck, the cool metal meeting his pale flesh.

He took in a sharp breath, his fear renewed. He could feel the knife leaving little cuts along his skin with each tiny movement.

"You…said…I had…five days" he managed to choke out.

She drew back the weapon ever so slightly, trailing it across his bare chest and leaving more gashes there, laughing as she did.

"I say cut your losses. Obviously Blaine isn't going to fall in love with you. So let's all stop pretending and just pay up, Kurt."

He gulped, still eyeing the blade that was inching closer to his throat again.

"But that's not fair…" he tried to reason with her.

"_Life's_ not fair! Suck it up, lover boy and let's get going!" She used her free tentacles to wrap around Kurt's deformed legs and started pulling him.

Kurt managed to slip out of Brittany's loose grip and grab hold of the headboard.

"No! Please! Just let me stay!" He was begging now, but Sue didn't yield.

"Where's your prince to save you now, Kurt?" Sue cackled. She snapped her fingers.

Suddenly, Blaine appeared as if out of no where from a plume of smoke. He shook his head in a dazed, confused way. Like he couldn't make sense of how he got there or what was happening.

"Blaine!" Kurt cried, fresh tears spilling over his eyelids. A feeling of relief washed over him. Blaine wouldn't let him get hurt.

Blaine didn't appear to hear him, but was staring at the scene with a look of horror on his face.

"Blaine, help me!" Kurt yelled.

"Isn't that funny?" Sue lamented. "He can't hear you."

Kurt didn't give up though. "Blaine! Please! They're trying to take me away!" But his voice was caught in his throat and no sound came out at all.

"What are you doing?" he accused Sue angrily, his voice returning to him.

"Me?" Sue asked innocently. "I'm just having some fun before I have to take you away." She smirked evilly at Kurt.

He looked back towards Blaine, eyes glistening. He didn't attempt to ask for help again, knowing Sue would just take his voice away.

Instead, he fought against his captors, trying to move towards Blaine as close as he could. But it was of no use; he was being held down tightly.

His wrists were turning red from restraint and every muscle in his body was screaming in protest as he tried with all his might to escape. He twisted in every which direction, panic growing inside his chest with each failed motion.

Finally, Blaine looked Kurt straight in the eyes, eyebrows still furrowed with confusion.

Nobody moved as he spoke directly to Kurt.

"Do I…do I know you?" he asked Kurt.

Kurt could feel his heart sink as a new kind of pain washed over him – heartbreak. He looked at Blaine, his lips trembling as he realized now there was no hope.

He weakly tried to fight again, taking advantage of the silence. But Santana and Brittany just used their skin to shock him with electricity.

Everything was burning; everything was pain and fire throughout his whole body as he writhed in torture.

Kurt dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands until the soft skin bled. He flexed the muscles in his arms as the electric currents kept coming stronger and stronger. When the pain was so much that he wanted to beg for death rather than endure any longer, Kurt let out a long, blood-curdling scream of agony.

No one in the room flinched. It was as if he hadn't even made a sound at all.

Eventually, the two eels stopped shocking Kurt and his screaming died away into shallow whimpers of pain.

"Ready to give it up yet, Porcelain?" Sue asked wickedly, enjoying herself.

Kurt hung his head, weak from the amount of aching still resonating in his body. He could see long burn marks on his arms and open wounds on his chest from where Sue dragged her knife across before.

Trails of dark blood were oozing out of the edges. Every breath he took only hurt his ribs and brought him no relief.

After a minute of silence, he slowly lifted his head, shoulders shaking from the effort. He said one word:

"Never."

Blaine was still watching Kurt curiously, completely unconcerned for the boy's well-being. He took a cautious step towards Kurt's slumped form and crossed his arms.

"Seriously," he asked Kurt again. "Who _are_ you?"

Kurt felt his heart clench painfully. The words were like a harsh slap in the face. He turned to face Blaine wearily, tears streaking his cheeks.

"I'm no one," he answered bitterly.

Sue cackled at Kurt's response and with a wave of her hand, Blaine evaporated into thin air, disappearing completely.

"Blaine...n-no…" Kurt wanted to yell, but he felt too drained to even try.

He bit down hard on his lip. No one was going to save him – not even himself.

He turned to look at his mother till hovering on the outskirts of the room. He swallowed and tasted the sharp flavor of blood.

"Please…Mom…" he begged silently. "Don't let her do this to me."

He saw she was weeping as he came closer. "I want to help you, Kurt, but you made your own deal. Now there are consequences you have to pay."

Tears slid down Kurt's face from pure fear.

"You said…you said you'd always be there for me." He looked her in the eyes. "You _lied_, Mom."

She softened at his sorrowful words. "Kurt…I…"

She moved closer and stretched out her hand towards her son. Her bony fingertips wiped away a tear from his face.

"I'm…" she began to say, but suddenly she was wasting away in front of Kurt's eyes.

Her body collapsed in a pile of black ash until she was nothing but a necklace on top of a small heap of dust.

"Mom!" Kurt cried, "Mom, no!" He turned to Sue, hatred in his eyes. "Why are you doing this? Punish _me_ – I'm the one you want!"

"Oh, Kurt." Sue laughed as if it were the silliest thing she'd ever heard. "Don't you see?" I _am_ punishing you. And now…" she sing-songed, "I'm going to _end_ you."

She pulled out the knife again and held it high above him.

Kurt was frozen in terror. He couldn't move, he couldn't yell, he couldn't even breathe. He closed his eyes tight, accepting that this was his fate. He heard the knife swing through the air and felt a searing pain in his chest.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up screaming. He stuffed a fist into his mouth to muffle the sound, but it didn't help at all. He was drenched in sweat, his hair sticking to his forehead. There were streaks of dried tears on his face as he felt new ones running over them.<p>

He struggled to breathe, feeling as if his dream was real. He was practically sobbing with relief as he clutched at his chest and found there wasn't a gaping wound there. He ran his hands along his arms quickly, breathing slightly easier when he felt only smooth skin under his fingertips. He threw back the sheets in a fit of desperation, tearing up all over again when he saw his unharmed legs.

He couldn't stop touching his skin, making sure he wasn't injured.

It just felt so _real_. He was so sure…

He ran his hands through his hair, taking deep gulps of fresh air. It was as if he'd stopped breathing all together while he was sleeping and now he was trying to fill his lungs with air.

He drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, rocking back and forth. He fought back a shout, but he couldn't help it.

He felt borderline hysterical, but he couldn't bring himself to calm down; the horror of the nightmare had intensified his senses. Everything felt like much more than it should have.

The first part of the dream was definitely a memory – a memory he hadn't thought back on in a long time.

For the second time, his hand flew to his collar bone, searching for the familiar necklace. But, of course, there was nothing there but damp skin.

He thought back to how quickly the nice dream had spiraled into an uncontrollable nightmare. There were all his fears, exposed for his anxious mind to pour over in the cool night air.

He wailed again into the silent night as he thought of his mother. His breath was coming out stuttering and he was shaking from grief.

He didn't realize how much he missed her until he thought of her. What he would give to talk to her one more time…

He buried his face into his hands, leaning against his knees. He was sure he'd never get back to sleep now.

He scooted to the middle of the bed, scared of even the slightest shadows now. He was even convinced that they were moving…A whimper of fear escaped his lips. How would he ever make it through the day now?

The door creaked open slowly, causing Kurt to nearly jump out of his own skin.

"Kurt…?" Blaine asked groggily, closing the door behind him. He rubbed his eyes, seeming to be only half-awake.

Kurt couldn't even attempt to pull himself together. He just started weeping all over again that it was Blaine in his room and not some psychopathic murderer. He felt oversensitive from the nightmare, but he couldn't bring himself to stop crying.

Blaine saw that Kurt was sobbing uncontrollably and started towards the bed with a sense of urgency.

"Kurt…Are you okay?" He sounded worried, climbing on the bed and making his way towards the center.

He tried to pull Kurt's hands from where they were covering his face, but the other boy wouldn't relent to his tugging. Blaine saw Kurt's shoulders shuddering and absentmindedly started rubbing his back slowly.

Kurt leaned into Blaine, throwing his arms around Blaine's neck and burying his face into the other boy's t-shirt.

"Shh…it's okay, Kurt. Come on, tell me what's wrong." He massaged Kurt's shoulders, trying to meet his eyes.

Kurt violently shook his head, unable to speak even if he wanted to.

His breathing was shallow as he hiccupped a bit. All he could do was hold Blaine tighter. His presence was enough to make Kurt feel better.

The dream version of Blaine had been lingering in his mind; cold and distant, not knowing – or caring – who Kurt was. But now he was here, in real life, sitting on the bed with him.

"I've got you…" Blaine said, wrapping his arms around Kurt's shoulders and patting his hair gently. "It's going to be okay," he promised, moving a hand to rub Kurt's arm.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, Blaine hushing him as Kurt's breathing eventually slowed and until he felt like he was physically unable to cry anymore. His eyes were rimmed red as he felt suddenly worn out – worn out, but too frightened to go back to sleep.

Blaine still held him close as Kurt sagged against him, quieting down at last. He let his fingers run through Kurt's hair, pressing his lips against Kurt's forehead softly. Kurt didn't even seem to notice as he wiped his eyes one last time.

Blaine didn't dwell too much on that as he turned his attention back to Kurt.

"So are you going to tell me what all that was about?" he joked lightly.

Kurt just bit his bottom lip until it turned white and shook his head again, suddenly ashamed of his outburst. Surely this wasn't the way to win someone's heart.

Blaine didn't seem bothered by the lack of information.

"Bad dream?" he guessed.

Kurt turned a bit red as he nodded his confirmation. "Bad dream" was a bit of an understatement in his opinion, but it got the point across.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt." Blaine seemed genuinely sympathetic. "Everyone has bad dreams sometimes. It's no big deal."

And involuntary shiver went down Kurt's spine as he thought back on his dream again.

"Why don't you go back to sleep? You need your rest for the morning and I'm sure it'll all be forgotten by then. That's the weird thing about nightmares – you can never quite remember them the next day." He laughed to himself as he looked at Kurt with concerned eyes.

Kurt shook his head, protesting even the idea of sleep. Blaine tried to get up off the bed, but Kurt grabbed Blaine's t-shirt and pulled him back down.

Not expecting Kurt's sudden motion, Blaine fell back on the mattress, staring incredulously at the other boy.

Kurt widened his eyes with fear; he really didn't want to be left alone.

"Okay, okay. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

Blaine made himself comfortable against the pillows, but Kurt remained sitting up.

His mouth was open in objection, but Blaine just spoke with mock authority.

"You're performing in the morning and you need to get some sleep. What's your solution to this nightmare? Just never go to bed again? Nope. I'm here with you and I won't let anything hurt you."

Just when he thought his tear ducts had run dry, Blaine's words made him shed on last tear. He lay down and pulled the sheets up to his chin. His breathing hitched as he felt Blaine's arms going around his waist. His hand stroked Kurt's stomach gently before moving to his forearms.

"Go to sleep, Kurt," Blaine whispered, holding Kurt closely.

Kurt rolled his eyes in Blaine's general direction as if to say "_yeah right_". Blaine just laughed, causing pleasant vibrations to pass through their joined bodies.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll even serenade you." Blaine cleared his throat and began humming a song that Kurt didn't recognize.

Kurt's head was pounding from all the crying he'd done and his lids were feeling undeniably heavy. He allowed them to slide shut as he listening to Blaine's soft voice in his ear. With Blaine's arm wrapped around him, he felt safe at last.

Kurt could feel Blaine moving his hands to stroke his hair again, loving the way Blaine's fingertips felt against his scalp. He relaxed and pressed further into Blaine as he started feeling sleepy again. He slipped into unconsciousness, never wanting Blaine to leave.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up in the morning reluctantly. He felt like he'd been hit by a truck as the memories of last night came flooding back.<p>

He was too tired to feel embarrassed about it again. Rubbing his eyes, he began mentally preparing himself for the day. He was about to stretch his arms above his head when he felt a heavy arm still lying across his waist.

He froze in shock; Blaine was still there. In his bed. Right now.

He rolled over, careful not to jostle the sleeping boy and was surprise when Blaine pulled him even closer than before.

"…Kurt…" he mumbled in his sleep.

Kurt's heart was beating sporadically now and he knew he couldn't just lie their and enjoy Blaine sleeping. It would be wrong.

So he gently prodded Blaine, trying to wake him up. When he wouldn't stir, Kurt shook the boy's shoulders.

Blaine blinked confusedly.

"Kurt?" he asked, "What are you…what am I…?" Comprehension dawned quickly on his face. "Oh my gosh! I fell asleep, I'm so sorry. Did I scare you? You looked so peaceful last night and I didn't want to disturb you by getting up. I...am an idiot." He sat up quickly, running a hand through his messy curls which were sticking up more on one side than the other.

Kurt was just staring at Blaine curiously, interested in watching the freak-out unfolding in front of him. He smirked a bit as a blush crept up Blaine's neck.

"I'm just…going to leave now…" Blaine said quickly, heading for the door as fast as he could.

When he'd finally left, Kurt sighed contentedly.

This was turning out to be an interesting day and it wasn't even six in the morning yet.


	16. In Memoriam

_A/N: Infinite thanks to Muchacha10. Genuine inspiration is hard to find these days, but I found it in her drawings._

* * *

><p>Blaine could feel the red tint across his face rather than see it as he hurried down the hall as quickly as he could. All he knew was that he felt embarrassed and needed to put as much distance as possible between himself and Kurt's bedroom.<p>

He crashed through the door of the nearest bathroom, locking it behind him. He leaned his head against the door and took a deep breath.

Crossing the bathroom in a few short strides, he reached the sink and grabbed the sides, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

"You are a _moron,_" Blaine told his reflection.

He twisted the tap for hot water and hastily splashed it on his face, not even bothering to wait for it to heat up properly. He threw so much on himself that the neck of his shirt was soaked through with water.

Groping blindly, he reached towards the towel rack until he felt the soft material of a towel beneath his fingertips and grabbed it.

The white cloth was like silk against his skin as he buried his face in it for a moment, cleaning up the water and dabbing at his wet hair. He let his head sag into his hands for a moment as he thought back to his hasty exit from Kurt's room. Casting the towel aside, he looked back in the mirror.

The curls on top of his head were a mess and now the front-most strands were drenched with water. His rifled his fingers through the crop of hair in a half-hearted attempt to make himself look more presentable. The stubborn curls remained askew, seeming to mock his reflection in the mirror.

How could he have been so careless? He'd stayed up late, watching Kurt drift to sleep and stroking his side. At one point, Kurt moved in his sleep and his pajama top had ridden up slightly, revealing perfectly pale skin underneath. Blaine had told himself that he was half-asleep and totally incoherent, but he had the strong urge to touch Kurt there even though he shouldn't.

After a moment of hesitation, he gave in and let his fingertips graze along the smooth skin for a moment, relishing the feel of it. He gave himself a firm shake after a second before doing the gentlemanly thing and pulling Kurt's shirt back down, covering the patch of skin once again.

He knew he should have left. As soon as Kurt's breathing became slow and deep, he should have gotten up quietly and gone back into his own room. But if he was being honest, he really didn't want to go.

He liked the warmth of Kurt beside him. He liked the way Kurt softly smacked his lips in his sleep and squirmed a bit every once in a while. He liked the way Kurt's hair fell across his forehead, not held back by product or any amount of combing. He liked the way the Kurt pressed back into him and even muttered his name once when Blaine had stopped singing to him.

Kurt was, well…Kurt was beautiful and amazing. Blaine wanted to stay awake all night and comfort him whenever he started whimpering. Blaine wanted to chase all the bad dreams and all the negative thoughts away.

Somewhere during his blatant admiration of the sleeping form next to him, he'd grown tired himself and closed his eyes – only for a second.

He scoffed, hanging his head down and looking away from his reflection. _Only for a second_? Yeah right. He'd fallen asleep with Kurt in his arms and hadn't woken up again until morning.

"Smooth, Blaine. Real smooth…" he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

What a way to make a fool of himself.

He'd been shaken awake by a very confused looking Kurt. At first, he felt hazy and remembered nothing, having the irrational thought that maybe Kurt was in _his_ room.

The memory of coming to Kurt's room in the middle of the night came rushing back to him; Waking up to hear Kurt's screaming, Kurt flinching when he opened the door, seeing him sobbing in his bed, and holding him close as Kurt slept. It all came back to him within a second.

He'd felt embarrassed, quickly pulling his arm away from Kurt and swiftly jumping out of the bed. He knew he had a knack for talking in his sleep sometimes; what if he'd said something about Kurt? What if Kurt heard him? He tortured himself with all the possible scenarios for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking into the mirror again.

"Forget about it," he commanded himself firmly.

He eventually emerged from the bathroom after his self pep talk and wandered back towards his room. Today was an important day – a day for his mother.

He rubbed the corners of his eyes as he padded towards the closet and picked out the clothes that the tailor had set aside for him days before.

He pulled on the black slacks and put on an undershirt before he put his arms through the matching black long-sleeved dress shirt. He stood in front of the mirror and slowly buttoned each button, careful not to miss a hole and set the succession awry. When they were all buttoned, he lifted up the collar of his shirt and draped the silky grey tie around his neck.

He smiled a bit sadly as he remembered that it was his mom, in fact, who had taught him how to tie a tie rather than his dad.

* * *

><p>"Mommy! Mommy!" screeched a five-year old Blaine, running up to his mother with something balled up in his hand and his other arm behind his back.<p>

The dark haired woman looked up from her book, carefully putting a bookmark inside of the page before putting it down on her lap.

"Yes, Blaine?" She couldn't help but beam down at him as he stood before her, rocking back and forth on his heels. Always the ball of energy, Blaine was.

"When I grow up, I want to be like Daddy," he announced confidently, nodding his head as if this were the most important proclamation ever to be made.

"I'm sure you will be, honey." She ran a hand affectionately through her son's curly hair – a feature surely passed down from her husband.

"But…but Daddy's always dressing up for his meetings and stuff, right?" Blaine looked at her with genuine worry in his eyes.

"Yes, he certainly does. He has to look like a gentleman, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does," Blaine agreed quickly before returning to the dilemma at hand. "And I want to dress up like him!"

From behind his back, he pulled out one of his fathers many dress shirts and quickly slipped his arms through the oversized sleeves. The garment was so large that it hit the floor and dragged quite a bit. Blaine didn't seem to care at all that it was much too big as he folded up the sleeves messily. He buttoned the buttons, missing a few and making them not line up at all.

"How do I look?" Blaine asked eagerly, turning around for his mom to admire his get-up.

She laughed affectionately. "Come here and let me fix your buttons, Blaine." He came closer as she bent down and lined up each button with the correct opening.

"There," she said, buttoning the last one. "Now you look extremely handsome."

"Okay," he said slyly. "But can you tell what I'm missing?" He put his tiny hands on his hips as he waited for his mom to answer, sure that he would stump her.

"Well," she put a hand to her chin, pretending to think very hard even though she knew the answer. "I don't know, Blaine Anderson. You've got me there. I have absolutely no idea what a dashing young man such as yourself could possibly be missing."

He smiled widely, exposing the space where in his bottom row of teeth where he'd just lost a tooth the week before. "Oh, Mom! I sure fooled you!" He moved side to side a bit in excitement, feeling successful that he'd perplexed his mom.

"You sure did," she conceded, waiting for him to reveal the missing piece of the ensemble to her.

"I'm missing a tie, silly!" He opened his balled up fist to reveal a very wrinkled silk tie.

"So you are!" she said, acting as if everything made sense once more.

"Yeah!" Blaine's face fell as he looked at the tie in the palm of his hand. "But I don't know how to tie it…"

"Well, maybe you should wait for your father to get home. I'm sure he'd love to show you…" She watched as Blaine's big, hopeful eyes fell and his smile turned into a frown of disappointment.

"But I've seen you tie Daddy's ties for him. I want to learn so I can do it all by myself. Please? Pretty pretty please? With a cherry on top?" He clasped his hands together as if he was praying and looked at his mother with perfectly sad eyes.

She thought over it for a moment. "Well…"

"Please? I'll never ask you for anything else as long as I live!" he swore to her.

"Well, when you put it _that_ way…How could I pass up that offer?" She took the tie from him.

"Hooray, hooray!" Blaine cheered, running around in a small circle before stopping in from of his mom again. "You're the best Mommy in the whole entire world!"

"You flatter me." She held onto his shoulders as he bounced up and down. "Stand still for a minute," she said, chuckling at her son.

Blaine stopped moving and stood as still as was humanly possible for a little boy. She draped the fabric around his neck, crossing one end over the other.

"Are you watching what I'm doing?" she asked kindly, seeing Blaine's eyes following her hands in fascination.

"Yes, yes," he hastily assured her, grinning as she looped the wide end over the other and pulled it down to tighten it.

"I don't know how you men do it," she said, as she continued her work. She saw Blaine puff his tiny chest out in pride when she called him a man like his father.

She ended by pulling the wide end of the tie through the knot and tightening it until it looked perfect. The knotted tie dangled loosely around Blaine's neck. He happily lifted to collar and adjusted the tie until it was in the proper position before patting the material back down in place. Even tied, the tie still hung down almost reaching the floor. But Blaine looked immensely proud of it.

"How do I look, Mommy?" Blaine smiled wide and lifted his chin importantly.

"Perfect, Blaine. You look perfect." She beamed back at him and tousled his hair again. "Think you can remember all that?"

"Are you kidding? I'll never forget it ever for as long as I live!" he exclaimed, spinning around one more time.

"Why don't you run along and try being a kid for a little while longer, you little rascal."

"_Mother_…" Blaine said indignantly, putting a hand on his hip. "I am a _man_."

She nodded slowly. "Of course, of course. Go run and play then, my little man."

He skipped away, tripping over the long material of the shirt every few strides or so.

"I love you, Mommy!" he called over his shoulder as he balled up the hem of the shirt in his hands and ran back towards his room.

"I love you, too," she said, watching him disappear down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Blaine smiled to himself as he looped one end of the tie through the other.<p>

Of course, he'd gone back to ask his mom to show him how to tie a tie about once a week after that, never quite able to remember how. It never occurred to him to just ask his dad because his mom was the first person he asked for everything.

And he liked it that way.

Of course, the more he practiced with that same wrinkled tie in his room as a child, the better he'd gotten at it. He graduated from messy, unfixable knots to clean, neat ones as he grew older.

He pulled the end through the loop for the last time, straightening the grey tie until it was perfectly centered between the wing-tipped collar of his shirt.

He smoothed down the material of his dark shirt nervously as he took one last look at himself in the mirror. He'd really grown up sometime when he hadn't noticed.

He had a strong jaw line and deep, expressive eyes. He looked at how his chest filled out the shirt nicely and saw the hint of muscles underneath his concealing sleeves. He'd never really taken a moment to admire how he'd grown up as a man now; a real man.

He straightened his tie unnecessarily one more time before turning away from the mirror and sitting on the edge of his bed as he tied his shoes.

A soft knock came from the door.

"Come in," he answered, not looking up as he laced the last shoe up.

The person cleared their throat from the doorway. Blaine looked up and saw Kurt standing inside his room, smiling at him.

Blaine took a moment to admire how good Kurt looked. He was wearing an outfit almost similar to Blaine's but his tie was white and he'd rolled up his sleeves a little bit. He wore black dress shoes with a small white streak passing through the middle; the whole look was classy.

Truth be told, they were probably wearing the same exact brands of shirts and pants, but Kurt wore it differently than Blaine and with more confidence.

"Well, don't you look…nice," Blaine finished lamely, grinning back at Kurt.

Kurt waved the compliment away with his hand and stuck an already written post-it on his forehead deftly. Blaine chuckled as he pulled it off and read it.

"_Are you ready for this?_" it read.

Blaine smiled down at the note in his hand for a second before looking up at Kurt.

"I'm ready as I'll ever be." He stood up and took Kurt's hand easily in his own, knowing that the small contact wouldn't be rejected. "What about you?" He looked at Kurt with concern. "Are you feeling well enough to sing? If you don't want to do it, just let me know and I'll get the other Warblers to cover for you. Really it's no pr - "

Kurt grabbed Blaine's lips between his forefinger and thumb silencing his worries. Blaine gently pulled Kurt's fingers away with his free hand.

"I'll take that as a sign that you're feeling up to it?" Blaine laughed as he rubbed his lips where they still tingled a bit from Kurt's touch.

Kurt nodded enthusiastically, squeezing Blaine's hand in his own before pulling him towards the door.

* * *

><p>They made their way down to the entrance of the castle, descending the grand stair case hand-in-hand. The great hall was full of the Andersons' closest friends and family, including the rest of the Warblers.<p>

Blaine had filled Kurt in on the particulars at dinner last night. He told Kurt all about how the cemetery wasn't very far from the castle walls at all. So the family and the townsfolk who wanted to pay their respects would gather outside the gates and the royal family would go out to meet them.

The crowd would walk together in a procession to the cemetery led by the late Queen's family. They would be holding candles and flowers while someone – this year, it was Kurt – sang a song in memory of her Majesty.

When they reached the cemetery, they would gather around her grave and people would line up to put down their flowers and pay their respects. Maybe a speech or two would be given before the crowd would disperse in reverential silence to their homes where they would all be getting ready for the ball later in the evening.

No child would be in school and no stores would be open out of respect for Blaine's mom. It was quite the event.

"Hey, guys!" The Warblers greeted them warmly, patting either boys' shoulders or their backs heartily. They were all decked out in black ensembles with dark blazers to match one another.

"Great turn out this year," Thad commented, giving Blaine a small smile.

"Yeah, everyone and their mother is here" Jeff added, getting a hard punch in the arm from David because of his poor choice of words. "Well…you know what I mean…" he defended himself rubbing his arm.

Blaine chuckled at the usual Warbler antics. "It's okay, really it is. I'm just glad you all could make it to back up Kurt." He jerked a thumb towards the boy standing next to him who was starting to blush slightly.

"Of course!" Nick said, squeezing Kurt's shoulders lightly. "We wouldn't miss this for anything."

"It's going to be great this year," Wes added from beside David. "With Kurt singing, it's sure to be. Kid's got a great voice."

Kurt ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Yeah," Blaine agreed, glancing at Kurt affectionately before turning back to the group. "Just remember the arrangement we practiced yesterday and everything will go off without a hitch."

"It's really a beautiful song," Trent commented, smiling at Kurt. The rest of the group nodded their agreement, murmuring to one another excitedly.

Blaine greeted a few of his family members and introduced them to the group as they waited for his father to make his way to the hall.

When he finally did, he held up his hands for silence.

"Thank you all for coming to remember the life of my beautiful wife, Lena…" James said in a booming voice. His cheek glistened with one solitary tear that he quickly wiped away as he went on. "It means so much to both me and my son." James gestured with an open hand towards Blaine.

"Let's go outside then, shall we?"

The crowed buzzed in agreement as they headed towards the doors, the Warblers in the lead.

Blaine felt his heart warmed as he took in the overwhelming number of people waiting at the gates. It was times like these that made him want to believe in the good of mankind; these times when everyone banded together – the old and the young – to comfort a mourning family. They were all united by one person: his mom.

When everyone had made it out of the gate, the lighting of the candles began. From one person's burning wick, the flame was passed from person to person throughout the whole crowd until every single candle was burning.

The sky was still relatively dark and thick grey clouds were covering up any hopes of sunlight. The glow of the collective candles brightened up the dull morning as they began the short trek to the graveyard. Blaine wiped at his wet cheeks as he looked at Kurt. He laced his fingers through Kurt's once more and nodded to him.

"Whenever you're ready," he said as they left the castle behind, the horde of people silently following behind them.

Kurt nodded at the other Warblers, making sure everyone was ready. He opened his mouth and softly began to sing alone.

_You were once my one companion  
>You were all that mattered<br>You were once a friend and mother  
>Then my world was shattered<em>

Blaine could tell from the sincere, melancholy tone to Kurt's voice that he was singing not only for Blaine's mom, but his own as well. He gave Kurt's hand a squeeze as he allowed himself to marvel at Kurt's perfect pitch that rose high above the crowd. He could hear the appreciative murmurs of the people behind him, obviously impressed with the boy too.

_Wishing you were somehow here again  
>Wishing you were somehow near<br>Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed  
>Somehow you would be here<em>

Blaine felt a sudden sadness overwhelming him. He thought that if enough time had passed, the pain of losing his mother would lessen. But it hadn't; he missed her probably more now than ever before. A silent tear trailed down his cheek, feeling cold against his skin in the crisp morning air.

_Wishing I could here your voice again  
>Knowing that I never would<br>Dreaming of you helped me to do  
>All that you dreamed I could<em>

They passed through the iron gates of the cemetery, trudging through the mildew-strewn grass. Blaine could see his mother's grave at the end of the first row, more of a monument than a tombstone. It towered above all the others, visibly more important and cared for than any other.

Blaine felt a sudden surge of remorse for the other loved ones who were laid to rest there. Some of them probably got no visitors at all, and here was a mass of people coming to pay respects for one woman. He hoped that, wherever his mom was, that she felt how beloved she was.

_Passing bells and sculpted angels,_

_Cold and monumental  
>Seem for you the wrong companions,<em>

_You were warm and gentle_

The Warblers began to harmonize with Kurt, their voices tracing the melody softly and wordlessly. As they went on, their voices grew stronger beneath Kurt's, each harmony mixing together effortlessly.

_Too many years  
>Fighting back tears<br>Why can't the past just die?_

The Warblers stood beside the grave site as everyone piled into the small cemetery.

James was the first to kneel in front of his wife's grave, tears quickly sliding down his face. He placed the bouquet he'd been clutching to his chest at the base of the tombstone.

It read: "_To live in the hearts of those we love is never to die. In loving memory of Lena B. Anderson – a beloved wife and mother"_.

James reached up and touched the engraved words with his hands, hanging his head in sorrow before climbing up to his feet and backing away. A line of people slowly formed as they brought forward their own flowers and gifts one at a time.

_Wishing you were here again  
>Knowing we must say goodbye<em>

_Try to forgive  
>Teach me to live<br>Give me the strength to try_

A young child placed one daisy at the base of the grave before looking up at her mother.

"Mommy," she asked, tugging on her mom's hand. "Is the prince's mommy somewhere nice?"

Her mom gave her a small smile. "I certainly think she is."

The girl seemed relieved at her mother's answer. "Good, because she was really nice and nice people deserve to be somewhere pretty."

"They do," her mom agreed before leading her back to the crowd.

_No more memories  
>No more silent tears<br>No more gazing across the wasted years_

The voices of the Warblers died down to soft, dulcet tones. The last of the crowd finished up leaving their flowers, leaving the grave completely covered in every type of flower imaginable. It was a mixture of all the brightest petals possible, brightening up the dreary grave site. The Warblers decrescendoed to nothing as Kurt finished the song like he started it – alone.

_Help me say goodbye  
>Help me say goodbye…<em>

The last held note hung in the air poignantly. Blaine could practically feel the audience take in a breath as they admired the range of Kurt's voice.

When it finally died away, the crowd burst into enthusiastic applause for the boy and the group of Warblers flanking him. Kurt turned red as he put a hand to his chest modestly, bowing before straightening up and sending Blaine a weak smile. It was then that Blaine saw tears in Kurt's own eyes, slowly trailing down his pale skin.

Blaine returned with a small smile of his own before mouthing "_Thank you_".

The crowd grew silent again as James stepped forward. His eyes were red and puffy, but he seemed pulled together now.

"Thank you for that lovely song, Kurt," he said, nodding his head towards the boy who still had his hand laced with his son's. He turned back to the crowd, choosing to ignore it.

"And thank you all for coming out another year to remember my wife. She was a warm and kind woman – friendly to everyone who met her. She was cruelly taken from us much earlier than she should have been. But her short life was full of good deeds and overflowing with love. I see so much of her in Blaine and I know…I just know that she lives on through him. She lives on through those of you who remember her and do things the way she would have. I feel overwhelmed each year by the number of you who come with us to remember the life of one of the best women in the world. You have no idea what it means to me."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm grateful to have loved someone as amazing as Lena. I'm thankful that we had as much time as we did and I'm blessed that our son has the same kind of spirit. May I have a moment of silence as we remember no only my wife, but all of those we have lost who are near to our hearts. May they live on in our memories."

Everyone bowed their heads and said nothing for a few long minutes.

Blaine remembered his mother; the way she laughed, the way she always complained about his unruly hair, the way she cooked breakfast, the dress she wore to church, the string of pearls she wore to every dinner party. He remembered it all and shot her a quick prayer.

"_I love you, Mom. I miss you..._" he thought to himself, squeezing his eyes shut tight and willing the message to make its way to his mom somehow.

James lifted his head and smiled at the crowd of people. "Thank you all. Go forth to your homes and prepare for the ball. For remembering a life isn't just about mourning their death, but for celebrating their life. I hope you will all be there. It's what Lena would've wanted." He turned his eyes to his wife's grave one last time and blew a kiss.

The mass of people moved towards the gates of the cemetery, slowly but surely emptying out the graveyard. The Warblers, too, started walking away, patting Blaine on the back.

Nick, Wes, and David were the only ones brave enough to draw Blaine into a quick hug.

He smiled at them all, nodding his thanks as they slowly began to walk back towards the castle, leaving him, Kurt, and his dad as the last ones standing by the grave.

He reached down and took Kurt's hand in his own again.

"You were brilliant, Kurt," he said, meaning every word.

Kurt just shook his head, reddening slightly at the compliment.

"Come on, Dad," he said, pulling Kurt forward with him as he came to stand next to his father. "Let's go."

He slung his arm around his father and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

"I love you, son. You know that, don't you?" James asked Blaine a bit sadly.

"Yeah. I know, Dad. I love you, too." Blaine smiled at his father. "Let's get going. We have a ball to prepare for."

The three of them sauntered back towards the castle together, closing the iron gates behind them.


	17. A Night To Remember

_A/N: I wouldn't be here without the inspiration that (the newly dubbed) Muchacha11 gifts me with. Her Klaine drawings are magnificent :3_

_The reviews some of you send me make me weak in the knees. You have no idea what your support means to me!_

_This chapter's been waiting to be written since the very beginning. So without further ado, here is chapter seventeen. I hope it's everything I envisioned to be for you all._

* * *

><p>The beginning of the ball always passed in a flurry of pleasantries. Blaine greeted everyone happily with a dashing smile. He nodded at all the right times, shook hands with a firm grip, and looked every single person in the eyes. He greeted them all by name, asking about their parents, their children, or their occupation. He was the perfect gentleman, never feigning interest or missing a beat.<p>

By his count, there had to be at least a hundred girls in attendance already, and the night was still young. His father's threat was hanging over him like an axe. Every time he thought he might begin to enjoy himself, he remembered it looming over him precariously.

He saw it reflected in the shining eyes of every girl who offered him their hand to kiss. He heard it in their slightly too loud giggles and their voices laced with hidden flirty undertones.

They knew that Blaine was on the market and when they thought he wasn't looking, he was being appraised like a piece of meat.

And why shouldn't he be? None of these girls knew him or cared about him. If it wasn't for his last name, he doubted any of them would give him a second glance.

What was he to them? A title, that's what he was. To them, he represented royalty – a husband that all other women would envy. They knew that he had a decision to make about one of them and so they stared with hungry eyes.

Blaine fidgeted uncomfortably as a new group of people approached him, dressed in their finest.

"Your Majesty!" they greeted, bowing briefly in reverence and surging forward to shake the prince's hand.

Blaine laughed. "Please, just call me Blaine. I insist."

"Oh, we couldn't possibly!" they reprimanded him.

"Mrs. Thomas…" He turned his attention to the middle-aged woman clad in an elegant emerald colored gown. "You look lovely as always." A simple compliment went a long way with his constituents. Blaine watched her blush from his kind words as she tried to turn the attention away from herself.

"You remember my daughters Rebecca and Margaret." She gestured to them each in turn as they curtsied and exchanged furtive glances with one another.

"Rebecca," he greeted as she offered him her hand. He brushed it lightly with his lips politely before turning to her sister. "And Margaret, of course I remember both of you." He kissed Margaret's hand quickly, trying not to wrinkle his nose from the perfume she'd obviously over-sprayed herself with.

Blaine turned back to their mother. "If I may ask," he began respectfully, "Where's your step-daughter? Samantha?"

He noticed Mrs. Thomas' eyes harden a bit before a happy glow was restored to them.

"How lovely of you to think of her, your Highness," She shot her daughters a sharp look as they began to giggle. "Unfortunately she fell ill early this morning and was…unable to attend."

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows with genuine concern. "That's too bad. Send her my well wishes, won't you?"

"Of course, of course," she hasted to assure him before launching into a long story about a bout of flu going around.

Blaine listened attentively, but allowed his eyes to wander as she droned on.

He was scanning the ballroom, recognizing many of his friends and family, when his eyes landed on a huddle of men speaking in hushed tones. He saw his father in the midst of it all, looking a bit flustered.

Blaine recognized that look anywhere – the look of irritation and anger; he'd endured that look many times before.

He watched as his father's eyes darted around the room as if he wanted to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Blaine focused on the other men surrounding him and recognized a handful of the counsel. What could they possibly be discussing in the middle of a ball?

Then as suddenly as they had gathered, James was ushering all of the men towards the hallway and out of the ballroom.

Blaine began feeling that whatever they were debating in plain sight had to be of the utmost importance. If it couldn't wait until their next meeting, it had to be something big.

He repressed the urge to dart after them right away as he turned back to face Mrs. Thomas. The poor woman hadn't even noticed his concentration straying as she rambled on and on.

He nodded as she spoke, hoping a break in this speech would come any time soon. The second she paused for breath, he broke in gently.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Thomas, but if you would excuse me. Something important just came up."

"So silly of me to keep you for so long, your Majesty," she laughed, touching her cheek where a blush had crept across it.

"Not at all…" Blaine waved away her apology of sorts. "I just have some business to take care of. But enjoy yourselves." He bowed his head towards her and nodded towards the two girls who were still staring fixatedly at him. "Margaret…Rebecca…"

Both girls seemed rendered incapable of forming sentences as Blaine threw them a small smile before turning away. As he slowly walked away, he could hear them giggling over him.

"Oh my gosh, he's so dreamy!" He heard Margaret whisper loudly.

Rebecca let out a squeal of excitement. "He is _so_ going to marry me…" she said dreamily.

Blaine heard Margaret scoff as if she were insulted. "Excuse me. I know you're not talking about _my_ future husband. Clearly he was besotted with me – he didn't even notice you."

"Not true! It's like he was staring into my _soul_…" she let out a breathy sigh.

He heard one of the girls yelp and what sounded like a scuffle breaking out between them as he continued walking away.

"Girls!" Mrs. Thomas said angrily. "That is quite enough from the both of you. If either of you want even the smallest chance you have to…"

But Blaine never did hear what they would have to do to secure his hand in marriage as he lengthened his stride and allowed the crowd to swallow up the Thomas family. They weren't the worst girls he'd encountered so far. And that was saying something.

He let them drift out of his mind as he looked around to make sure he wasn't being followed. When he was sure no one would notice his escape, he covertly slipped into the hallway where he'd seen the group of men last.

He rushed down the hallways, looking through each cracked door for any sign of them – any at all. He was bustling so quickly that he almost blew right past the room where they were holding their "secret" meeting.

"But that's not the problem!" he heard someone burst out to a chorus of shushing.

Blaine doubled back and saw which door he'd been searching for. It was cracked open the tiniest measure so he could feel a slight breeze blowing against his face through the small crevice. He turned his ear to the door instead and tried to lower the volume of his breathing as if the men might catch him at any moment.

His heart was pounding in his ears as he strained to hear what was happening within the tiny room.

* * *

><p>"Then what," James fought to keep his voice even, "is the problem, <em>Henry<em>?"

He said his peer's name with a hint of malice, despite his quite calm demeanor.

"Well, _James_," Henry replied haughtily, "the problem is that when your son marries, it will be, presumably, to a princess. Or were my eyes mistaken when I saw that ninety-nine percent of the eligible girls out there were of noble blood?"

James crossed his arms and looked away from Henry. "It's not my doing. I sent out the invitations – that's all. Whoever responded and is in attendance tonight came of their own accord. Obviously they are looking to join kingdoms…"

"Precisely!" cut in Edmund, a short, pudgy man. What he lacked in height, he made up in his loud, boasting voice. "So whichever way you cut it, Blaine's marriage will end up joining two lands."

James lips were in a tight line as he spoke to Edmund. "I'm anxiously awaiting you to get to the point."

"The point, _my liege,_ is that it will multiply our population by threefold. Maybe even more! Who knows?"

"So the kingdom will expand," James waved away the concerns with his hand. "We all knew we couldn't stay this size forever. Development is a good thing, gentlemen."

Yet another man started in. "What they're trying to say, James, is that you will have an unprecedented number of citizens under your control after Blaine's inevitable marriage."

The counsel mumbled in agreement as he went on. "They'll be people from regions you might not know as well as your own. They will have problems that will be different from the ones we face here. If I may be so bold, your Majesty, as to state that it'll be something we are wary about."

"But why would you be wary, Jonathan?" James narrowed his eyes at the balding man standing in the middle of the room. Were they saying what he thought they were saying?

Jonathan took a deep breath, but he hesitated. He didn't want to say what every one of the other counsel men were thinking.

"It's too much power for one person…"

The room was silent as the weight of his words sank in. Still James tightened his jaw and tried to understand.

"I don't quite…understand your meaning." He leaned back in the couch he was sitting on and waited for the onslaught of explanations. None came.

"You have to understand…We've been talking over this for a long time, James…" Henry said, trying to convey his sincerity.

"Conspiring is more like it," hissed James.

"We just think that we should take a step into the new century. It's time we became a democracy."

"A _democracy_…" James muttered, more to himself than anyone else. That one simple word turned over in his mind.

It was almost like a curse word to him; he felt insulted that anyone would use it in his presence.

"That's right, James," Henry said boldly now that the hard part was over with. "A democracy. We'll need more representatives in the first place from those lands you will gain control over. They'll know what problems to address and how to tackle them better than anyone in this room, really. You knew it couldn't be this way forever…Monarchies are dying out. You could always run for President…"

"_President_?" James eyes were bulging out of their sockets. For the second time within a week, he was sure he was going to experience heart failure. He could feel the tendons in his neck straining as he struggled – and failed – to keep a straight face. "What ever gave you the impression that I wanted to be _president_?"

"Begging your pardon, sir," came a meek voice from the corner.

"Yes, Andrew?" James answered.

"You'll always be royalty. No one here is trying to strip you of your title. You just won't be running an active monarchy. Maybe this is a good idea; let someone else call the shots. You know we would always desire your input…"

"Maybe I want to do more than give you all my _input_…" James ground his teeth and stared pointedly at the floor.

He felt like all of the men were pitying him now and pity wasn't something he took kindly too. He didn't need anyone feeling sorry for him. Clearly he wasn't needed anymore; that's what this had to be about.

"Just give me a minute, gentlemen." He rubbed his eyes wearily. "After all, I'm being asked to resign from my position as ruler. I think I deserve a minute to get used to the idea."

"No one's asking you to resign yet," Henry assured him. "It's going to be put to a vote next week. Majority rules. We just thought we should warn you because it seems like a _very_ real possibility, given the tally we took yesterday."

"Sure, sure," James said grumpily. "And how many of you are already jockeying for my position, eh? How many of you have been waiting for this day when you would get the chance to do my job?"

He glared at every man individually before casting his eyes downward again.

"Actually," Jonathan piped up, "No one here wants to take the job. We were hoping the people would elect a fresh leader. Who knows? Some of those Warbler fellows your son hangs out with could be President material…"

"A fresh leader?" James asked gruffly. "_A fresh leader_?" he repeated even louder than before, anger seeping through his voice. "Blaine would have been a fresh leader! You won't even give him a chance!"

"What experience does he have?" Henry asked sharply. "He's never ruled over even one group of people, let alone multiple ones. He's young, yes. He knows the people he's grown up with, yes. No one here is denying that. It's just time to move on to a better system."

* * *

><p>At this point, Blaine could no longer meander outside the door like a child eavesdropping on an adult conversation. He took a deep breath and opened the door, greeted by sounds of surprise and numerous shocked expressions.<p>

"Gentleman, if I may," Blaine said, coming to a halt in the center of the room. He didn't wait for acknowledgement before going on. "I can do this. I can rule, I can help others and inflict social change. I've been waiting for my chance for so long…"

"No one is questioning your capability, Blaine," an older gentleman said. "It's just time to move on. The people need a voice."

"But I can give the people a voice!" Blaine protested. "Maybe you're all just being too rash."

"No, Blaine," Edmund rebuked. "This has been a long time coming. After we put this to a vote – and we _will_ win, mind you – if you still want your chance to make a difference, you can campaign for President like any other hopeful."

Blaine's face fell. He knew nothing he could possibly say would change their minds in the slightest. No one came to his defense or heeded any of his words at all. It was clear that this was how it was going to be.

The men all shifted in their seats and after a long, awkward silence, they eventually cleared out of the room, leaving Blaine and his father alone.

"Dad…" Blaine began sorrowfully. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea…"

James held up a hand to silence his son. "Neither did I. But there's nothing I can do. Fair is fair. If a majority of them want this to happen, it will happen. I will not become a dictator."

Blaine nodded thoughtfully. Suddenly his heart had hope as he thought of something he hadn't realized before. "So…does this mean that I still have to take a wife?"

Blaine hoped his father would say that his threat was now null and void, but that wasn't the case.

James lifted his gaze to throw Blaine his patented look of disgust.

"Of course you do. You heard them. We might not be active rulers, but we will always be royalty and you need to settle down, young man. My condition still stands," he said, getting up and wandering towards the door. "Find a wife by tonight or I will pick one for you."

Blaine opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it. Now wasn't the ideal time to fight with his dad after what just happened. His father left the room without another word.

Blaine stood, quite alone, in the empty room. No, of course it wouldn't be that simple. Of course he'd still have to go out there and converse with all the dreadful girls who were lining up to shove themselves into his line of vision.

He cringed as he thought about how he would have to ask someone he only knew for a few hours to be his life partner. Part of him wished he could hole himself up in his bedroom and just skip this ball all together. He entertained the idea for a moment; there was a strange satisfaction in picturing himself lying on his bed and reading a good book as the festivities went on without him.

He shook the irrational thought away. He was bound to his word to his father, even if it wasn't something he wanted. In his heart, he knew his father was right; he was a man. He needed to settle down. Though he wished he wouldn't have to take a _wife_. Just the way normal people were allowed to fall in love, he longed to be able to do the same for himself. Was it too much to ask for a little acceptance? For some support behind his happiness? Clearly it was too much to ask of these people…To ask of his father.

His mind flashed to Kurt. But that didn't make sense at all…Blaine shut his eyes tightly and reminded himself of the task at hand.

He reluctantly shuffled out of the room, starting to feel childish for hiding away, even if it was only for a moment. There was nothing but the click of his dress shoes on the polished marble tile in the hallway as he made his way slowly back to the ballroom, trying to prolong his return for as long as possible. But hallways can only be so long and only so many minutes could be wasted until he reached the ballroom.

There were even more people milling around since before he'd left, if that was possible, and he wandered over to where the Warblers seemed to be gathered off to the side of the dance floor.

"Blaine!" Wes greeted him, throwing an arm around Blaine. "Where were you, my man? The party's just getting started!"

"Yeah," Jeff added, sidling up to Blaine and lightly punching his arm. "I bet the ladies were sure missing you."

"Hardy har har, you guys. Well _I_ surely did not miss the ladies." He laughed a bit at his own joke.

Nick came up next to Jeff, sipping champagne from a thin, crystal glass.

"So where's Kurt?" he asked Blaine with a knowing voice.

He shot Jeff a look and the two raised their eyebrows as if they shared some inside joke.

"Yeah, uh…where is he? Don't you want to see him?" Jeff goaded.

Blaine blushed and tried to hide his face from the Warblers.

"I don't have the faintest idea what you guys are talking about, as usual."

He did a double take of the room, trying to see if maybe he'd overlooked Kurt. But that's silly; who else would Kurt be hanging around? It's not as if he could exactly _socialize_…

"You're thinking about him," Nick said with a smirk.

"We can always tell," Jeff nodded triumphantly.

"It's written all over your face" Wes added.

"Shut up…" Blaine managed to say as he adjusted his tie nervously. "But seriously, has anyone seen him? He should be here by now…"

The Warblers all looked at one another, shaking their heads and shrugging cluelessly.

"Don't worry, man," David said, patting Blaine on the back. "He has to be around here somewhere."

* * *

><p>Kurt looked at his suit for what had to be conceivably the hundredth time. He'd been going back and forth in his mind over it.<p>

Sometimes when he looked at it, he couldn't wait to put it on. Those times he was admiring the color combination and the cut; he'd press the fabric against himself while he looked in the mirror, trying to envision himself stepping off of the grand staircase wearing it. Then his stomach would fill with nervous butterflies and he'd hang it back up to resume his pacing.

He was unbelievably late. The ball was supposed to start almost two hours ago, but he just couldn't bring himself to leave his room.

"_Okay, this is ridiculous_…" he thought to himself. "_Just put on the tux and go downstairs. Not that big of a deal._"

He turned back to where it was hanging and nodded to himself. Before he had enough time to second-guess himself, he was taking the ensemble off of the hanger and laying it on his bed.

When he was fully dressed, he took one last, lingering look in the mirror. He straightened his lapel and fussed with his green cummerbund until it sat just right.

He added the finishing touch: a bow tie that was the perfect shade of green to bring out his eyes. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked his reflection up and down.

That feeling of finding the perfect suit - that feeling he had in the dressing room just a few days ago - came flooding back to him as he found his confidence.

His heart was pounding just thinking about Blaine seeing him, but he turned away from the mirror quickly and walked over to his dresser. He scooped up the post-it notes and pocketed them before making his way out of the room.

He heard the sounds of the festivities before he even came near the staircase leading down to the ballroom. There were pillars lining the railing overlooking the ballroom and Kurt hid behind one as he poked his head out to take in the brilliantly decorated room.

The room was wide and by far one of the largest spaces in the whole entire castle. All of the party-goers fit comfortably in the room with more than enough space left over for a generous dance floor. Large, round tables dotted the perimeter of the room, decked with the finest red tablecloths and centerpieces of floating orchids in crystal bowls.

The waiters wore matching white jackets with their names stitched over the pockets as they carried around various hors d'oeuvres and politely offered them to the guests.

Kurt clutched the banister tighter as he noticed that the staff had put up twinkle lights and strategically placed them around the room, giving it that magical feel of stepping into a fantasy_. _

Kurt's nerves died down as he stepped from behind the pillar and rested his elbows on the railing and did what he did best – people-watched.

He was sure that no one would notice him since there was so much activity going on down below. People were always so concerned about what was going on at the present moment in front of their faces that they never bothered to look up anyways.

An orchestra off to his right was playing some light music softly, setting the mood. There seemed to be an even number of people sitting at the tables chatting and people standing around greeting each other excitedly. Kurt could tell that all of the people were happy to be there as he listened to choruses of laughter and good cheer mixing in the air.

He watched a man regaling a large group of people with what looked like a rigorous tale as he made wide hand gestures. A few children were playing an impromptu game of tag and running around the ballroom, ducking under tables and hiding behind posts.

He took the overwhelming number of females that seemed to be in attendance for some unknown reason. They wore every cut, color, and style of gown imaginable and Kurt didn't even know where to let his eyes go first. It seemed like everyone was dressed impeccably despite their stature.

Tonight you couldn't tell royalty apart from commoner.

Kurt watched as the girls gathered in groups – no, more like packs. They all whispered to one another and pointed. There were several clusters of girls spread around the ballroom, giggling and smoothing down their skirts. But they all seemed to be looking in the same direction.

Kurt felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he followed their gaze towards an extremely handsome looking Blaine. He felt irrationally jealous and worried. But that was silly; Blaine wasn't his in the first place.

But he could see why the girls were infatuated with Blaine, he was looking better than ever in his brand new suit. It was simple, but when it was paired with that flawless signature Blaine smile, it was more than breath-taking.

Kurt felt his own heart skip a beat as he saw Blaine laughing with the other Warblers. Thad seemed to making a toast that had the rest of the group in stitches.

Kurt looked on as Thad finally reached the end of whatever speech he was making and the Warblers all clinked their glass against one another merrily. All the other boys tossed back the liquid quickly while Blaine chose to take a small sip of it instead.

Kurt noticed that Blaine seemed a little uncomfortable as a few girls came up to him and started chatting him up. It wasn't that he wasn't smiling at them or being polite, he was just noticeably less enthusiastic than he'd been a moment ago.

He narrowed his eyes as one of the girls grabbed Blaine's arm and started rubbing it suggestively. It was no secret to Kurt that her and her friends were into Blaine with a little more than friendship on their minds.

He relaxed a bit when Blaine smoothly slipped out of her grip and took the tiniest step backwards as if to avoid any other unnecessary touching. The girls didn't even seem to notice his subtle evasive maneuvers as they kept right on talking.

The girls broke out into a fit of laughter and Blaine chuckled with them. As he did, he happened to look up.

Blaine did a quick double take as he realized it was Kurt who was looking down on the on-goings of the ball.

Kurt felt himself turning red under Blaine's gaze and considered jumping back behind the pillar. But then his eyes tentatively met with Blaine's and he felt suddenly warm and like he should probably be moving closer rather than hiding himself away.

Kurt straightened up and smoothed out any possible wrinkles in his jacket before making his way to the staircase. He let his left hand dig into his pocket as he let his right hand glide along the smooth wood banister while he descended the stairs.

* * *

><p>Blaine was clearly ignoring the girls now. They kept on talking and talking, but he wasn't hearing a single word of what they were saying. Their voices faded to nothingness. In fact, the whole room faded away.<p>

Logically, the ballroom still had to be full and the guests still had to be conversing and having a good time. But none of that mattered anymore, because the only thing at the forefront of Blaine's mind was the man making his way down the staircase.

"Blaine?" Alyssa asked, following his gaze to the staircase.

"Who's _that_?" Miranda asked Lisa from behind her hand.

"I don't know, but if Blaine won't have me, I'll _gladly_ give myself to that guy…" she whispered back.

"I saw him first…" Miranda argued.

"Excuse me, ladies," Blaine said, straightening his tie and not even waiting for an answer as he wandered away.

"But Blaine!" Alyssa called after him.

But it was of no use. The girls were left in confusion as the stared after Blaine.

By this time, most of the hall had fallen silent or taken to muttering to one another as they watched the lone man making his way down the stairs.

Blaine seemed oblivious to it all as he grinned at Kurt from where he was standing at the bottom of the staircase.

Kurt was blushing deeply as he reached the last step. Blaine extended his hand.

"You're late."

* * *

><p>Kurt took Blaine's hand as all of the guests looked on. There were a few gasps and stunned looks, but Kurt disregarded them as Blaine's hand closed around his and laced their fingers together comfortably.<p>

"Come on," Blaine said happily. "We were about to eat."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Kurt found himself sitting in the seat next to Blaine at one of the head tables.

Of course, they shared their table with a handful of other Warblers. Nick was sitting on Kurt's left and Kurt had to admit that the he'd grown fond of him. Nick was currently trying to fill him in on everything Kurt had missed so far, requiring no feedback at all.

"So then the Johnson's pull up in a Hummer limo, drawing everyone's attention. But then the engine kind of blows up, causing a huge scene. Let's just say the fire department was called… Needless to say, they got their grand entrance. But I think yours was better."

Kurt shook his head and looked down at his utensils, embarrassed.

"Don't give him a hard time, Nick," David said, swirling his water around with his finger.

"Hey, I'm just saying I wish _I_ could've had as dramatic of an entrance. I deserve attention!" Nick laughed as he unfolded his napkin and placed it on his lap.

"_I_ give you attention," Jeff joked.

"Yeah, well…" Nick said, trailing off.

"Well I'm glad Kurt finally graced us with his presence," Trent teased. He turned towards Kurt. "Blaine was looking for you all night long, asking for you every two minutes"

"What a _lie,_" Blaine defended himself.

"Okay, okay," Wes cut in. "Every two _seconds_…"

All of the boys burst out laughing. They managed to pull themselves together as a wave of waiters descended upon them and placed heaping plates in front of them.

"Not that I wouldn't want to see you, Kurt," Blaine explained as he cut his steak. "I mean, you're great. I just wasn't looking for you. Not that…you're not worth looking for. Oh, that came out all wrong…"

"Calm down before you hurt yourself, Blaine," Jeff warned.

It was Blaine's turn to feel embarrassed as he stabbed a piece of meat with his fork.

Kurt wrote a quick note in his lap that he stuck to Blaine's pant leg.

"_Don't worry, I know what you mean,_" it said.

Blaine chuckled, relieved that he hadn't offended Kurt.

"Mind if I borrow that for a second?" he asked, gesturing to the post-it note pad.

Kurt shrugged and handed it over before turning his attention to the plate in front of him. Unfortunately, there was a seafood dish arranged on half of it. He pushed it around with his fork uncomfortably before deciding that starting on his salad would probably be the safe thing to do.

He was nibbling on the leafy greens covered in dressing when Blaine stuck a post it on his leg.

He nearly swallowed a tomato whole, but managed to recover from Blaine's touch and calmly chew his food before looking down at the note.

"_Have I told you you're gorgeous? Because you are,_" it said in Blaine's neat handwriting.

Kurt felt himself turning a deep shade of pink as he reread the note. That had to be the most direct thing Blaine had ever said or, rather, written to him. He folded up the note and tucked it away in his pocket before Nick or anyone else could look over.

He quickly wrote a note back.

"_Someone's been drinking too much sea water again._"

He stuck it quickly on the sleeve of Blaine's jacket before turning his attention back to his offending plate. He looked at Blaine from the corner of his eye, making sure he was consumed with writing back before sneakily moving some of the entrée into his napkin. There, now it looked like he'd eaten some of it at least.

Blaine smoothed down the note against Kurt's shoulder before sipping his water.

"_I'm not joking. I know what I'm talking about. You put the ladies here to shame_."

Kurt couldn't help but grin to himself.

"By the way," Blaine whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "I saw that napkin trick. Nice try."

"_I don't caaaare,_" Kurt sing-songed back softly. It didn't sound out of place either.

"What are you guys even doing?" Ethan asked, raising his eyebrows humorously.

"Yeah," chimed in Jeff. "You're always writing those notes to each other. What's the big idea?"

"Secret conversations?" Thad asked from across the table. "It's a conspiracy!"

The boys burst out laughing yet again. They all liked giving Blaine a hard time whenever they could. It was their favorite sport.

Eventually Kurt gave up on his plate and strategically placed his napkin over it to hide the uneaten food. Luckily, a waiter came and picked it up right away before anyone could tell he'd mostly just pushed his food around to make it appear as if there was less of it than before.

After a while of jolly conversations over a meal fit for kings, the music started to grow a bit louder. People made their way to the dance floor and started waltzing around happily.

"I can't wait until our set," Jeff said impatiently. "I can't stand this old-timey stuff. I want to make people _dance_, you know?"

Nick laughed. "Yeah, well you'll get your chance. Traditional stuff first, you know."

"Unfortunately…" Jeff mumbled.

A young lady approached him with dark brown hair pulled back elegantly in a knot on the back of her had. She wore a light blue gown that hit the floor.

Blaine took that as his cue for introductions.

"Uh, Jeff, this is Christina. Christina, Jeff."

Kurt watched as the girl gave Jeff a small curtsey before bravely asking, "Would you like to dance?"

Suddenly Jeff didn't look as somber as he had a moment before. He certainly wasn't griping about the song choice anymore, if that was any indication.

"Sure, I'd like to dance," he said, hopping up, taking her hand and steering her towards the now almost-full dance floor.

Kurt couldn't help but note that Nick's expression had fallen a little bit and now the boy was warily watching Jeff and Christina dancing closely. But he didn't press it any further as he turned his attention back to Blaine.

He wrote yet another note.

"_So when's our set?_"

It got stuck to Blaine's arm this time.

Blaine answered aloud this time. "It's actually in about ten minutes. Probably less than that now." He checked his wrist watch to confirm. "Just stick with the guys and they'll let you know when we're up."

At that point, Rebecca came bustling up to Blaine with her sister in tow.

Kurt thought they looked borderline insane with lust the way they were staring down the other boy, but Blaine didn't seem perturbed at all. In fact, he didn't falter at all as he greeted the two ladies.

"Rebecca, Margaret. How are you enjoying yourselves?" he asked politely.

"This is, like, the best ball ever," Rebecca gushed quickly, getting a glare from her sister.

"What she means to say is that everything's lovely, Blaine," she recovered, more eloquently than her sister.

Rebecca was about to say something, but Margaret dug the heel of her shoe into her sister's foot in warning. Kurt cringed as he noted that Margaret wasn't exactly wearing modestly sized heels.

Either Blaine didn't notice or he was much too used to the two girls' shenanigans to intercede.

"What I came to ask was if you would care to dance?" She plastered on an eager smile as if she had really fooled Blaine with her act.

That was when Kurt saw Blaine hesitate. "But what about your sister?" he asked, referring to Rebecca, who was rubbing her now red foot gingerly.

Suddenly Rebecca stood up straight and looked at Kurt with hungry eyes. "I can take your friend here."

She cocked an eyebrow in what was supposed to be a seductive way, but Kurt just felt more scared than he'd been in a while.

"If that's alright with Kurt…" Blaine said, eyeing him.

Kurt was on the spot. He couldn't turn down the girl, no matter how horrible she was – it would be rude. As much as he wanted to say no, he just nodded.

He'd barely given his consent when Rebecca had grabbed the front of his jacket and hoisted his up off the seat. She grabbed his hand in her sweaty grasp and tugged him towards the dance floor as if she couldn't get their quick enough. He thought he heard Blaine laughing behind him…

Kurt felt suddenly alarmed. He probably wasn't that good of a dancer and now here he was with this dreadful girl and being expected to take the lead.

"Oh, I love this song, don't you?" Rebecca said eagerly, putting an arm around Kurt's waist and drawing closer to him.

Kurt just nodded even though he hadn't been paying attention. The strings of the orchestra were playing what seemed like a quick waltz.

He took a deep breath before placing one hand precariously on her shoulder and holding her other hand in his. He tried to keep their hold formal, but she was pressing into him much too close. Kurt refused to give into the strong urge to flinch away.

He slowly began guiding her in a small circle, praying that the song would end soon so he could make an escape.

She grew impatient with him and took the lead – not that he could exactly protest - and moved him all around the dance floor. Mostly, they weren't even moving to the beat, but rather in a disarray of movements that made no musical sense whatsoever.

Over Rebecca's head, Kurt saw Blaine aptly guiding Margaret across the floor. She wore a look of triumph as she puffed out her chest proudly. They did make quite a lovely couple.

Kurt noted the other young ladies staring at her with envy in their eyes. It seemed as if Kurt had some real competition for himself.

Meanwhile, Rebecca blindly led him across the floor, very narrowly avoiding colliding with other couples. When they got closer to Blaine and Margaret, Kurt caught Blaine's eye and gave him a good glare.

"_I'm going to kill you,_" Kurt mouthed as Rebecca buried her head in his chest.

Kurt grimaced from the contact and desperately hoped the torturously long song would draw to a close already.

Blaine laughed at both Kurt's threat and his expression of horror.

When Margaret wasn't looking, he shrugged and mouthed back, "_I'm sorry_."

He shot Kurt what was supposed to be an apologetic look.

Kurt just shook his head slowly. "_You will pay,_" he mouthed.

Blaine just laughed again and turned his attention back to his dance partner, albeit reluctantly.

Thankfully, for both the boys' sakes, the song ended with a flourish. Kurt pried himself from Rebecca's death grip and gave her a quick bow.

"You're a lovely dancer," she said, looking him up and down. "You should call me sometime." She licked her lips, her attempts at flirting effectively frightening Kurt.

Even though he knew it was rude, he simply could not subject himself to be in her presence any longer. He didn't answer her at all and curtly walked away.

"I love you!" she called after him.

He turned slowly back with what felt like an extremely disgusted look on his face. He shook his head at her and continued walking away. Even at a brisk pace, he felt like he could not get away fast enough.

He wrote a note as he walked, preparing to slap it on Blaine as soon as he found him again. He made his way back to the table and sat down fuming.

"Hey Kurt," Ethan jibed. "Those were some smooth dance moves."

The Warblers laughed at Kurt's shocked expression.

"Cool it, Kurt," David said. "Everyone knows how 'Becca is. Someone should've warned you."

All the boys cringed at their own private memories.

"Blaine's just too darn polite for his own good," Nick amended.

"Yeah, well he almost got Kurt maimed by Batty Becca." Cameron threw Kurt a sympathetic look.

"Decapitated is more like it…" Wes muttered.

Blaine walked up and dropped down in his chair, none worse for wear.

Kurt glared at him and thrust the post-it into Blaine's hand.

"_I could've been __killed_" it said. "_I've been scarred for __life_!"

Blaine chuckled a bit at Kurt's overreaction.

"Rebecca's just a little…high-spirited is all," he explained.

"Well, that's _one_ way to put it," David said under his breath.

Wes whispered back, "Yeah, and 'crazy' is the other…"

Blaine stole the post-it pad again while Kurt wasn't looking and scrawled a quick note. He offered it to Kurt.

Kurt grabbed the note and read it quickly.

"_I'm sorry about Rebecca. I shouldn't have let her take you like that. Forgive me?_"

There was a little smiley in the corner and how could Kurt possibly stay mad?

Kurt rolled his eyes as if to say "_I guess_."

"You should've seen your face though…" Blaine said, laughing loudly.

"It was like this!" Jeff widened his eyes in fake shock.

"No, like _this,_" Nick said, dropping his mouth open in disgust and scrunching his nose up as if he smelled something foul. The look did not become of him.

They all went around the table, imitating him until even Kurt was laughing along with them.

When they were starting to turn red in the face from laughing so hard, Blaine checked his watch offhandedly.

"Shoot guys, we're on in five." The laughing ceased and was replaced by nervous murmuring. "Keep calm," Blaine said, rising first. "Let's go warm up in the hallway."

The Warblers hastily stood up and pushed their chairs in. They made a beeline towards the hallway behind the small stage where the orchestra was set up.

When they were in the hallway, Kurt gestured to a nearby door with his thumb.

"_Bathroom,_" he mouthed to Blaine before excusing himself.

* * *

><p>"Let me hear a B flat, guys" Blaine instructed, humming the note for a second.<p>

They did some scale and listening exercises in preparation.

"We've so got this," Jeff said to Nick excitedly.

Blaine smiled. "Let me see the sheet music, Trent," he asked, holding his hand out.

Trent handed over a thick binder full of the Warblers' repertoire. Blaine flipped to the sections flagged for the ball. He frowned to himself.

"What's this number flagged for?" he asked Wes. "We never practiced this one at all…" He made to rip out the tab, but Wes stopped him.

"Actually…" he said sheepishly "_we_ did."

"What?" Blaine asked confusedly. "But Kurt and I don't know it. How are we going to perform it?"

Nick fiddled nervously with his fingers. "Well, that's kind of the thing. You're not."

"Okay, I'm so lost right now, it's not even funny," Blaine confessed.

David stepped in. "You and Kurt won't be singing it with us. You'll just sit that one out."

"Well that kind of…sucks," Blaine said. "Is this because I have too many solos or something?"

"What?" Jeff asked, laughing at Blaine's obvious obliviousness. "No, nothing like that. We were just, uh, giving you an opening."

"An opening to do what?" Blaine asked, still unclear.

"Look," Nick said, slinging an arm around Blaine's shoulders. "You're into Kurt, right?"

Blaine turned about as red as the tablecloths they'd eaten their dinner on.

"Well…I-I don't know…I mean, I _like_ him…I'm not s-sure…" he stammered nervously.

"You can't hide anything from us, Blaine," Jeff said with a smirk.

"Yeah, we all can tell," Thad added.

"That…t-that is beside the point, whether I…I think of him…in that way…" Blaine spluttered, becoming redder in the face by the second.

"Ah, but that _is_ the point," Wes said wisely, "Just read over the song we're going to perform and if you like Kurt as much as we think you do - "

"Which is a lot," Jeff broke in.

" – then you'll know what to do," Wes finished, eyeing Blaine meaningfully.

* * *

><p>Kurt emerged from the bathroom buttoning his jacket. The edge of a post-it stuck out of his hand. He kindly handed it to Blaine when he reached him.<p>

"_What'd I miss?_" it said.

A fierce blush was still coloring Blaine's face as he answered.

"Nothing, you missed nothing at all."

Kurt eyed Blaine curiously, sure he wasn't getting the whole story. Why else would Blaine look like he swallowed a sock? The guy never got nervous for anything, especially not performances.

He let it go with a shrug as he walked with the group back into the ballroom. The orchestra remained on the stage to accompany them during their set. All of the people recognized the Warblers and gave them a round of applause as they arranged themselves.

Kurt stood next to Blaine in the front row of Warblers. He noticed Blaine was looking at him nervously every few seconds.

"_Are you okay?_" he mouthed. Blaine had gone very pale as Wes walked over to the microphone.

Blaine nodded and seemed to regain himself. "Yeah. Fine. I'm fine."

"Thank you, Maestro," Wes indicated the head of the orchestra "And thank _you_, fine constituents. We're the Warblers…" His words were met with more thunderous applause. "We'll take it from here."

He took his position next to David as, surprisingly, Jeff took the microphone.

"We're going to slow it down with this first one. So I suggest you grab someone special and head out to the dance floor now."

Guests were coupling off and milling in the center of the dance floor. It seemed as if everyone was on the dance floor and waiting for the Warblers to begin singing, as if they'd been waiting all evening for just this.

Jeff nodded towards the Maestro who cued the guitars to start playing a soft intro.

Kurt looked towards Blaine in confusion. The song was slow like a waltz and he was sure he'd never heard it before. He looked towards Blaine for an explanation.

All eyes were on the stage as Blaine stepped off the stage. Every single girl in the room took in a collective breath, hoping that he was going to ask one of them to dance.

Kurt was among them in this opinion and he felt his heart sinking in his chest. So now he had to watch Blaine waltz a girl around the room as he stood awkwardly onstage.

He nearly fell over with shock as Blaine turned back around to face him, of all people. Blaine gave Kurt a particularly spectacular smile as he held out his hand.

"Kurt, would you dance with me?"

Kurt's mouth dropped open to form a small, surprised "o". He looked towards the other Warblers to see if this was some sort of joke. They all smiled back at him knowingly and gave him nods of encouragement.

"What are you waiting for?" Nick whispered from next to Kurt. "Go already!"

If the people in the ballroom were surprised when Blaine had stepped off stage, that was nothing to how they reacted when they understood what was happening.

Kurt bravely took Blaine's hand in his own and allowed himself to be helped off of the stage.

All the girls looked as if their eyes were going to pop out of their eye sockets. Kurt felt intimidated for a brief moment as he received murderous glares from all the eligible females in the room.

Blaine squeezed his hand as they made their way towards the center of the dance floor.

They stopped right under the chandelier, shimmering overhead. Jeff began to sing.

_What day is it? And in what month?  
>This clock never seemed so alive<br>I can't keep up and I can't back down  
>I've been losing so much time<em>

Kurt's heart was pounding as Blaine placed his left hand on Kurt's waist and laced their free hands together. Kurt wrapped his right arm around Blaine's shoulder, taking a small step towards the other boy.

"We're going to have to get a little closer," Blaine said breathily before pulling Kurt into him.

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do  
>Nothing to lose<br>And it's you and me and all other people  
>And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you<em>

He and Kurt were waltzing in the center of the dance floor, heedless of the dancing couples around them.

_One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right  
>I'm tripping on words<br>You've got my head spinning  
>I don't know where to go from here<em>

"You know, earlier…I would've much rather been dancing with you than Margaret," Blaine confessed.

Kurt widened his eyes as if to say "_Is that so?_" He didn't trust himself to even try to speak.

"Yeah," Blaine confirmed, holding Kurt tighter. "You're a much better dancer than her anyways."

That got a laugh out of Kurt as they continued dancing slowly.

The strings swelled below the voices of the Warblers.

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do  
>Nothing to prove<br>And it's you and me and all other people  
>And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you<em>

"It doesn't hurt that you look way better than her either," Blaine joked.

Kurt blushed as he looked into Blaine's sincere light brown eyes.

"I'm serious," Blaine said, gazing at Kurt intently. "There's no one I'd rather be here with than you, Kurt."

_There's something about you now  
>I can't quite figure out<br>Everything he does is beautiful  
>Everything he does is right<em>

Kurt nodded, understanding exactly what Blaine meant. Blaine gave Kurt a twirl and then caught him again, their faces dangerously close.

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do  
>Nothing to lose<br>And it's you and me and all other people  
>And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of <em>

_You and me and all other people with nothing to do  
>Nothing to prove<em>

The couple was laughing together their chests flush against one another. Kurt looked down the bridge of his nose at Blaine's mouth only a short distance away from his own. He felt his smile fade away. He couldn't take his eyes off of those lips. More than ever before he wanted to know what they felt like.

His eyes flickered up to Blaine's. He seemed equally fixated with Kurt's lips as he inched closer slowly. Kurt's heart was in his throat and he was sure he wasn't breathing anymore. He didn't dare move as Blaine's mouth hovered over his own. He could feel Blaine's breath on his anticipating lips.

_And it's you and me and all other people  
>And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you<em>

They stopped moving all together as the other couples continued to dance around them, taking no notice of the two.

Blaine's eyes slid closed as he pulled Kurt towards him and pressed their lips lightly together.

The kiss was soft at first as Kurt realized just what was happening and he pressed himself into Blaine.

Blaine had released Kurt's waist and hand and was now cupping Kurt's face between his hands, stroking the skin of his cheeks lightly as their lips melted together. Kurt's heart was beating a mile a minute and he was sure Blaine could feel it.

Kurt parted his lips slightly and sighed, moving his hands to tangle in Blaine's hair. He tilted his head to the side by a fraction as Blaine deepened the kiss, pulling him impossibly closer.

_What day is it?  
>And in what month?<br>This clock never seemed so alive_

The crowd around them burst into applause for the Warblers as the song drew to a close. Kurt and Blaine reluctantly sprang apart at the sudden noise.

Kurt touched his lips lightly with his fingers as he realized they were still tingling from the intensity of that kiss.

He looked at Blaine, chest heaving and ignoring the nearby people giving them strange looks. All he needed was for Blaine to say something, to say anything at all.

Blaine bit his lip and looked torn between struggling to say something and grabbing Kurt again. He settled for taking Kurt's hand in his own.

"Kurt, I…" he started. But a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

Blaine spun around to face his father.

"Blaine," James said, visibly making an effort to calmly address his son as the applause raged on. "Could I have a word?"

Blaine looked towards Kurt sadly, knowing he couldn't disobey his father. His eyes were full of sorrow as he gave Kurt's hand one last squeeze before dropping it and walking away.

Kurt watched as he walked away, threading through the crowd. Blaine kept looking back towards Kurt until the throng of people overtook him.

Kurt was left alone standing in the middle of the dance floor to wonder what had just happened.


	18. The Decision

_A/N: I will always always always give thanks to Muchacha11. Without her drawings, I wouldn't have started writing this in the first place!_

_The number of you who send me reviews, message me, or even take the time to drop by my ask on tumblr - you are all wonderful and lovely and much, much nicer to me than i rightly deserve! I'm lucky to speak with all of you beautiful people :3_

* * *

><p>Blaine could feel Kurt's gaze piercing into his back as he left the boy standing underneath the chandelier.<p>

He risked one last look over his shoulder, wishing he could just turn right back around and give Kurt some kind of explanation. The trouble was, he didn't know quite what to say anymore.

His eyes met Kurt's and he could see the hurt reflected in those light blue irises. Even though they were separated by a mass of people, Blaine could still see the pain there as plain as day.

Kurt's mouth was open slightly and one of his hands was lifted in Blaine's direction as if he were thinking of calling after him. But he didn't even try; he just stood there alone.

It was at that point that Blaine forced himself to turn away once and for all. He couldn't bear looking into those questioning eyes one more time. But he knew that Kurt was still staring after him as he left the ballroom.

Blaine focused on a spot on his father's back. Maybe if he just kept his eyes fixated on that patch of his dad's suit, he wouldn't feel tempted to look back again.

He could feel his resolve failing, but he refused to give in. He made a conscious effort to push all thoughts of Kurt out of his mind for the time being. It was proving to be easier in theory than to actually do.

Blaine could feel every tendon in his neck tighten and he felt his teeth grinding together. His fingernails dug into the heels of his hand from the effort as he quickened his pace. He wouldn't give in. He couldn't.

As his father led him back into the hallway nearest the ballroom, he focused on the problem at hand. Blaine felt a shudder of proper fear for the first time since his father had come to fetch him in the middle of the dance floor.

Before he could mull over what awful argument was about to befall him, his dad stopped abruptly and whipped around to give Blaine an icy glare.

Blaine gulped loudly and took a step backwards. He opened his mouth to begin to speak, but his dad silenced him.

"_Not. Here._" James hissed.

The man opened the nearest door and held it open for Blaine to walk through.

Blaine really didn't want to pass by that close to his father at the present time, but it seemed he had no choice. As quickly as he could, he walked past him and into the dark sitting room.

The curtains will still drawn from earlier in the day and the moonlight was spilling through the window, casting light on all the furnishings.

Blaine walked towards the opposite wall, trying to give his father as much space as physically possible. When the man shut the door with a loud slam, Blaine couldn't help but feel like the room had shrank to about the size of a closet.

He himself felt smaller as his father came storming up to him, his face already turning a nasty shade of purple with anger.

Blaine held up his arms to shield his face, fearing the worst.

His dad was backing him against a wall, making sure there was no escape.

"What in the _hell_ was that?" James asked, his voice shaking.

"Wh -"

"Don't say '_what_' like you don't know!" James roared. "How could you even try to act like you don't know _exactly_ what I'm talking about? Or was I mistaken when I saw you jamming your tongue down that…that…_boy's_ throat?"

"I wasn -"

"_Don't. Speak._"

Blaine held up his hands in surrender as he took another step backwards. His father pursued him.

"Don't you know what you've just _done_? In front of _everyone_? Don't you know what they'll say? It'll be all over the tabloids by morning!"

Blaine had never feared his dad more than he did now. He could see tiny red veins popping of the man's eyes and the borderline insane glint there, as if he was beyond all reason.

Blaine felt his own eyes widen with horror as he finally hit the wall behind him with a loud thud. There was nowhere for him to run.

"Well?" James demanded, looking at Blaine expectantly. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Blaine couldn't seem to find his voice. He was shaking and unsure of what answer his father wanted to hear. He wasn't sure of what answer he even had to offer in the first place.

"I…" Blaine searched for words. "I…I'm…I-I mean…" He hung his head, wishing he could just disappear. "I don't know," he whispered at last.

"Is that all you have to say?" James looked at Blaine with disgust undisguised on his face.

Blaine shook his head, feeling helpless.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Dad." He stared fixatedly at the carpet. "Do you want me say I would take it back? Because, short of that, there's nothing left to say."

"_And I don't want to take it back,_" he added mentally.

Silence filled the room. Blaine was afraid to look up, but after several minutes of tense stillness, he chanced it. He could see his father visibly fuming before him as he narrowed his eyes into slits.

Blaine registered that his dad was going to lunge towards him before actually seeing it and bent down quickly. With a yell escaping his mouth, James' fist met with nothing but wall – wall crunching beneath his knuckles.

Blaine's eyes went wide as he straightened up again. He looked from his dad's fist still connected with the wall along the arm and to his father in shock.

He stepped away from his father, not wanting to believe what had just happened. Blaine shook his head in disbelief, mouth open with astonishment.

"Did you just try to -" Blaine couldn't even bring himself to ask the question.

James looked like he couldn't quite believe it himself. Blaine could see the anger ebbing away from his father slowly as the man dislodged his hand from the wall. As he did, bits and pieces of wood fluttered to the floor.

There was a gaping hole left in the wall, part of it caving inwards. Blaine looked on in horror and noted that the skin of his father's knuckles was now broken and trails of blood were smattered along his fingers.

Blaine was inwardly grateful that he'd ducked just in time. If his father's blow had met his face…He didn't even want to think of what would've happened to him from the sheer force of it.

James was staring at the hole in the wall as if it'd appeared there of its own accord. He didn't seem to want to make the connection in his mind that _he'd_ caused it.

Blaine stumbled backwards and bumped into a low table, sending the china lamp sitting on top of it tumbling to the floor. He flinched as it shattered upon the wood floor with an earsplitting crash. Shards of it were sent flying in every direction and as he reflexively shifted away from it, he could hear pieces of it crunching beneath his shoes.

Still, neither of them spoke.

The color had drained from James' face and it seemed as if he were in a daze. Blaine was so repulsed by him that he made no move towards him or attempt to call his name. Every nerve in his body seemed to scream at him to move as far away as possible, no matter what the cost.

A painfully long silence followed the loss of the lamp, but still Blaine's racing heart wouldn't resume its normal pace. He wanted to leave. Now. But he was rooted to the spot.

Finally, James looked up towards his son, seeming to come out of his stupor. He blinked confusedly at Blaine, as if he was just seeing his son for the first time. He sauntered forward a step, uneasy on his feet.

Blaine recoiled before coming to his senses.

"Don't come near me," he said loudly. "Don't you _dare_ come near me."

Blaine could feel the venom seeping through his voice, but he also knew that it was well deserved.

"Stay where you are or I _swear_…"

He didn't exactly have anything to threaten his own father with, but he certainly wasn't taking another risk again. The only person to defend him now was himself and he'd be damned if he was going to give his dad another chance to hurt him.

"Blaine," James said softly, almost sadly. He ventured another step forward.

Blaine pushed angrily off of the table, sending it teetering before it finally fell over. Blaine could feel the anger pulsating through his veins now.

"I said don't come any closer!" He could feel his eyes set with determination.

The authority in his voice seemed to comprehend in James' mind as Blaine watched him become still. He didn't take another step forward.

Blaine shook his head.

"Why would you do that?" His voice was cracked and hollow-sounding, but he didn't care. "I'm your _son_."

He felt the hot tears brimming over his eyes. They weren't tears of sadness, but of fury.

"I am your _son_," he repeated before the ability to form words became too difficult.

James just looked on, seeming to be unmoved by the scene at all.

"I don't know why I did that…" He offered no other attempt at an explanation, but just waited for Blaine to speak again.

Blaine ran his hands through his hair in irritation.

"What did I do to make you hate me?" he whispered when his voice came back. "Why do you _hate_ me?" His voice shook as it rose to an unnaturally thunderous volume.

His hands were shaking; he was a mixture of emotions. He felt fear, sadness, confusion, yet at the same time he felt angry and wanted answers. He wrung his hands, feeling the urge to break something or just yell until he lost his voice. It didn't even have to be words - he just wanted to scream until he felt nothing.

"I didn't do anything to deserve this from you," he said, jabbing a finger in his father's direction. "I've never been anything but good to you and supportive. I've been the model son for as long as I can remember. Don't you _dare_ try to pin this on me!" he shouted when it looked like his dad was going to protest.

"I was just…_frustrated_," came James' feeble explanation. "What do you expect from me, Blaine?" He seemed to be regaining his composure and becoming infuriated again slowly. "This – all of this – _is_ your fault!"

Blaine felt his heart clench painfully. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.

"You just had to make a spectacle, didn't you? Had to kiss him in the middle of the ball, didn't you?" James spat. "In front of every townsperson and news reporter." His gaze was one of loathing. "You _disgust_ me."

The harsh words punctured the still air and Blaine felt a growing pain in his chest. It was as if the statement was piercing him like an arrow.

But he didn't give in to the pain. He was done with letting his father have the last word.

"You think…You think I kissed Kurt to prove a _point_? You think I'm going through a rebellious stage or something?" Blaine stared incredulously at his father. "Dad, I can't believe you."

He shut his eyes, feeling weary.

"I kissed Kurt because I _felt_ something. Not to spite you. This is who I _am_. In fact, you were the furthest thing from my mind at that moment." Blaine opened his eyes to shoot his dad a viscous glare. "You think _way_ too highly of yourself, Dad."

James rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.

"Please don't tell me you think you're in love with this boy."

"I don't know _what _I feel," Blaine cut in. "But it's something…Something big."

His father scoffed and shook his head.

"This isn't going to go away!" Blaine shouted. "The way I feel about him – it's not a state of mind or a moment that will pass. It's real. I know it is."

That seemed to amuse James to no end. Suddenly he was doubling over cackling.

"You don't _love_ him," James said between laughs. "He's a man. You're a man. It's unnatural – it just isn't right." He gained a bit of control as he wiped his brow.

"And what's more, I won't allow it. It's just…wrong. You can think whatever you like and believe whatever delusion you've made up in your mind, but my word is final. You don't even know this man. Where is he from? Who is his family?"

Blaine didn't have an answer. For the first time, he faltered.

"I bet you don't even know his last name," James said with an evil grin.

That struck a nerve. It was _true_, Blaine didn't even know Kurt's surname…

"Don't forget who has the real power here, Blaine." His lips curled into a sneer. "Don't fool yourself. I could make this Kurt fellow just disappear overnight." He fluttered his fingers to mimic something flying away.

"What?" Fear struck Blaine like a fresh wound.

"He could just mysteriously disappear. Get kidnapped, fall ill, get locked away. The possibilities are endless, really. He's a no one. There'd be no one to notice his absence." James nodded, knowing he'd gotten Blaine's attention.

"_I'd _notice," Blaine said.

"Who are they going to believe?"

Blaine felt hopeless. He knew no one would listen to him. So did his dad.

"You…Y-You wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't I?"

The clock on the wall broke the tension, chiming twelve times. Midnight.

"I believe you have a decision to make," James said smugly, crossing his arms.

Blaine nodded and wiped away one last tear. He looked up and gave his dad one more defiant glare.

There wasn't a hint of hesitation when he spoke again.

"I've made my choice."

* * *

><p>Kurt stood as if in a daze. His immediate feelings were those of confusion as he watched Blaine's retreating form. It was like the whole world has slowed down, like every step Blaine took might as well have put miles between them instead of feet.<p>

When Blaine didn't look back again, Kurt had the urge to run after him and force him to stay. He wanted to talk it out – ironically, the one thing he was physically unable to do.

But deep down, underneath those haphazard emotions, Kurt felt triumphant.

_He had done it._

He had kissed Blaine. No, Blaine had kissed _him_. And it had been perfect.

Just the memory of how Blaine's lips had felt against his – soft and insistent – had his stomach filling with butterflies.

He knew it had happened because there were things he couldn't have possibly imagined; the feel of Blaine's soft hair between his fingers, the taste of mint and a hint of wine as their tongues had tentatively touched, and the smell of Blaine – a signature smell all his own – that he'd had the luxury of breathing in during their close proximity.

He could feel where Blaine had been touching him as if he'd been pleasantly burned in those places. It was as if Blaine's hands had left behind permanent imprints even though there were no physical signs of it at all.

Kurt felt different. And, above all, he felt happy.

He let his concerns fade away. Whatever Blaine was discussing with his dad surely couldn't be that bad. Maybe he was just worrying too much; Why shouldn't he allow himself to be happy?

The people around him seemed to be giving him a wide berth. He felt suddenly out of place among the dancing guests and realized he should leave the dance floor.

He snuck around the back of the stage and sneakily took up his spot next to Nick as if he'd never left.

The Warblers set was coming to a close, but he just did as they rehearsed the day before. It went rather smoothly. He remembered every choreographed move, every harmony, and he didn't forget a word once through the rest of the set.

Blaine didn't return.

Before Kurt could fret about it again, the ball was over.

Jeff had returned to the microphone as the rowdy cheering for the Warblers continued a solid ten minutes.

Kurt stood a little taller. He'd never been on the receiving end of such praise. It made him feel invincible, as if he couldn't be touched.

When the applause finally died down, Jeff spoke.

"That's if for this year's ball. I'd say it was the best one yet!"

The crowd burst into another round of applause as the people shouted their whole-hearted agreements.

"Stay safe, drive carefully, and – to all you kids out there – stay in school," Jeff finished with a wink

The crowd dispersed to gather their belongings (and children) and to say their final goodbyes for the evening.

It'd barely been a minute since they closed to ball before Kurt was swarmed by the Warblers.

"You sly dog," Nick said, squeezing Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt received many punches in the arm along with several elbows to the ribs.

"– knew you had it in you -"

"…Been waiting _forever_!"

"Took you long enough…"

Jeff sidled up to Kurt and ruffled his dark hair.

"So," Jeff smirked. "How was it?"

"_Jeff!_" the boys chorused in exasperation before prying him away from Kurt.

"What'd I say wrong?" Jeff asked Nick.

He shook his head. "Just shut up."

Kurt just smiled and said nothing, as per his usual.

He broke away from the Warblers and looked around for Blaine. The grand clock in the hall chimed loudly. Twelve slow chimes. It was midnight.

Still no sign of Blaine.

He untied his bowtie and left it draped around his neck with the topmost buttons of his shirt open.

Kurt slowly made his way upstairs, passing Blaine's empty bedroom on the way. Defeated, he padded down the hallway to his own room.

He carefully hung his tux back up after changing into his pajamas. It hung on the coat rack near his bed. Now it was the only physical evidence of the perfect evening.

Kurt threw back his bedding and crawled into bed. He lay facing the hanging garment bag as his eyelids grew heavy.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face, dreaming of Blaine's touch.


	19. Surprises

Kurt awoke early the next morning.

He got up to fling open the balcony doors and let in the fresh morning breeze. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath of salty air. He looked down on the beach with admiration for every small detail of the view.

He loved the sound of the waves, the sun reflecting on the shining water, the way he could see every rooftop for miles. He'd seen these things before, but somehow today they seemed different. Better.

It's not that the actual view itself had changed at all, but rather the way he was seeing it - as if through new eyes.

He felt stronger today, almost like he had changed. But nothing seemed different - not to the naked eye, at least.

Kurt ventured out to the balcony to lean against the iron railing. The breeze rifled through his mussed hair

He allowed his mind to wander to Blaine. Was he thinking of Kurt too? Was he remembering that kiss as clearly as if it'd happened seconds ago rather than hours?

Just before he could delve into those thoughts more deeply, a fluttering of wings interrupted his serene mood.

He looked up just in time before ducking. A seagull passed over his head and landed on the floor of his bedroom with a crash.

Before Kurt could straighten up, Finn was already up and dusting himself off.

"Kurt," Finn panted, clutching his side.

He was standing next to the bed post of Kurt's bed, which he sagged into, breathing heavily as if he'd flown a long ways.

Kurt looked at the gull with confusion. It'd been days since he'd last seen Finn. Days? It felt more like years. He couldn't help but feel glad to see a familiar face.

"I came as soon as I heard," Finn said, regaining his strength. He took a gulp of air before going on. "I knew you could do it, Kurt!"

At first, Kurt's thoughts went to his kiss with Blaine. Had that been what Finn had heard about? It had to be – why else would he be here?

But still, he stared at Finn feeling puzzled. How had Finn heard about _that_? Was it that far spread?

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about!" Finn waddled up to Kurt.

When Kurt didn't say anything, Finn rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"The whole town is talking about it. The prince is going to be married! Today!"

Kurt very nearly fell over from shock.

"All the townspeople are saying it's the most _shocking_ match they've ever heard of. Something about a tall brunette who's been 'rendezvousing' with the Prince as of late. Their words, not mine."

Kurt's mouth fell open in shock. He felt as if his legs were going to give out from under him. Was Blaine going to…_marry him_? It couldn't be - it was all too sudden.

But still, he hoped.

"What?" Kurt blurted out.

He slapped a hand across his mouth. His voice. It was back.

"I can talk," Kurt whispered in disbelief. "Oh, you have _no idea_ how much of a relief that is," he told Finn, placing a hand on his hip.

Finn totally ignored Kurt's outburst.

"It's true! I overheard while I was flying around the marketplace. That means it has to be true! Everyone's talking about it!"

Finn flapped his wings in excitement, sending a few stray feathers fluttering through the air.

"But that can't be," Kurt said, a hand still clutching his throat.

"Your voice is back," Finn pointed out. He was always slow on the uptake.

"Yeah, I know."

"So…"

"So…?"

Kurt never knew what was going on in that head of Finn's.

"Then the spell's broken."

"It was a potion."

"Same thing."

"No it's…" Kurt trailed off as something occurred to him. His eyes went wide.

"Sue _did_ say that if I got Blaine to fall in love with me, she'd give me my voice back." Kurt was trying to stay calm, but failing miserably. "And it's back, Finn! My voice is back!"

Kurt ran over to the bed and clambered on top of it. He started jumping up and down on the mattress like a kid, but he couldn't contain himself anymore.

"We did it, Finn! _I_ did it! He's in love with me! I'm getting married! To Blaine!"

He jumped until he couldn't jump anymore, at which point he collapsed onto the mattress and kicked his legs in excitement.

"Yeah you are!" Finn exclaimed.

"I should go see him," Kurt realized, sitting up quickly. "I mean, I kind of have to. The man hasn't even proposed yet."

Kurt almost fell off of the bed in his hurry to stand up before running over to the vanity. He was still wearing his pajamas – a t-shirt and some flannel pajama bottoms – and his hair was sticking up in every direction possible.

But still, he smiled at his reflection, not even caring that he wasn't anywhere near presentable for his future fiancé. He picked up a brush and ran it quickly through his hair, trying to smooth down the tangled tufts to the best of his ability. He was so giddy that he didn't even bother with product.

"I'm going to go find Rachel and Mercedes," Finn announced as he watched Kurt with interest. "I'm going to tell them what's going on."

"Good idea," Kurt complimented. "Send them my love, won't you?"

He knew he should be more concerned about his old friends and be dying to share this moment with them, but he couldn't bring himself out of his blissful disposition – Blaine was the only thing on his mind.

"Uh, sure," Finn laughed nervously. "I mean, I'm not really the 'send love' kind of guy, but whatever."

Kurt chuckled as he smoothed down the wrinkles in his shirt.

"So I'll be going. I know you have lots to do, lots of people to see," he gave Kurt a big wink. "I'll be at your wedding later!"

Finn took a running start before taking off and spreading his wings. In a matter of seconds, he was gone and nothing but a retreating dot in the sky.

As soon as he'd left, Kurt ran to the door and fumbled with the handle. When he finally regained control of his motor senses, he threw open the door and dashed down the hall, still clad in his pajamas.

His bare feet padded noiselessly across the carpeted hallways as he sprinted down the maze of corridors. He made his way towards the dining room where Blaine would most likely be taking breakfast.

This particular dining room was located on the ground floor at the far east side of the castle. It was nestled away in a corner and probably the furthest room away from Kurt's bedroom.

Fifteen minutes – and many wrong turns – later, Kurt saw the door in his sights. He slowed down a good twenty feet away from it and took a deep breath. He wanted to appear calm and collected when he walked in there. After all, it'd be the first time since their kiss that he and Blaine saw each other.

When his breathing had resumed to its normal pace and he was sure he didn't look _too_ disheveled, Kurt began walking again towards the doorway.

The door was almost shut with a crack of only about half a foot of space open. There was more than one voice floating out of the room, and the tone of the conversation was enough to bring Kurt to a halt. He heard the end of someone's sentence.

"…lots of plans to be made," James said.

Kurt frowned. James sounded…happy? No, ecstatic was more like it. Kurt didn't know the man was capable of any emotion besides anger.

A smile crept across Kurt's face. Maybe he was coming around after all.

He inched towards the door slowly, trying to catch the rest of the conversation. His heart leapt when he heard Blaine's voice.

"Yes, we do. Since you insisted that the wedding be tonight, we have a lot of details to get through."

Could Kurt's ears be deceiving him? _James_ insisted that the wedding be tonight? He'd clearly misjudged Blaine's father.

Kurt was pulled from his train of thought as James spoke again.

"I couldn't be prouder of you, son." The man's voice was practically _dripping _with pride. "It's a fine match."

Kurt couldn't help but grin at that grain of truth. He and Blaine did make quite a good pair.

Kurt took a deep breath and readied himself to walk into the room. He'd have to act surprised and unknowing – not an east feat, but he'd give it his best try. He forced back a smile and put his hand to the smooth wood door, preparing to push it open.

He stopped short when a new voice emerged from within the room.

"Oh, James! You flatter me. I'm just thrilled that Blaine asked me to marry him after all."

The unfamiliar female's voice made the very blood in Kurt's veins run cold. He felt as if the world had stopped and time had reversed. His hand recoiled from the door like it had shocked him.

"I love him," the girl said in a tone of adoration.

"And I love you," came Blaine's response.

He hadn't even hesitated to say it.

The words pierced Kurt's heart. He stumbled backwards a few steps, shaking his head in disbelief.

It couldn't be.

It just couldn't be.

* * *

><p>Blaine's stomach was churning.<p>

This whole façade made him feel, quite literally, sick to his stomach.

He sat at the breakfast table clutching Iliana's hand in his own. Her hand was cool and smooth, but he couldn't help hating how it didn't feel like Kurt's.

"I'm glad he asked you," his dad said in a booming voice.

Maybe what Blaine hated the most about this whole situation was that his dad was much too happy with it.

Blaine smiled and nodded just the way he was expected to. While his father dug into the food piled across the table, Blaine couldn't bring himself to touch anything.

He glanced at the beautiful brown-haired girl sitting beside him.

Logically, he knew there was nothing wrong with her. She was gorgeous; the envy of many women. She was sweet and polite – a genuine person. Blaine just knew deep down that she wasn't for him, no matter how lovely she was. Just holding her hand felt wrong.

When she turned to meet his gaze, Blaine flashed her his patented smile. She returned it with a smile of her own.

"So, I was thinking," she addressed him, "Since this all is short notice and a good venue is almost impossible to get by tonight, we should get married right on the beach."

She didn't wait for Blaine to dignify her with a response before going on.

"It's perfect, don't you think? It's private, it's lovely, and it's personal." She seemed pleased wit her own reasoning. "Personal for _you_, I mean." She placed her other hand across Blaine's, giving it a pat. "I hear you love going down to the beach."

Blaine blinked at her for a moment before realizing that she was waiting for a response.

"I do, you're right," he said hastily. "Whatever you want, darling."

He inwardly flinched at the term of endearment he'd tacked on. But that was what he was supposed to say.

"Fantastic," Iliana exclaimed, clapping her hands together happily. "It's settled then."

She had a notebook open in front of her in which she scribbled a few hasty notes in a loopy scrawl. She also made to cross out a few lines of text.

"This going to be so great," she sighed.

"I can't wait." Blaine tried to sound sure of himself.

She leaned in for a quick kiss, her lips brushing against his. Blaine kissed her back before she pulled away. It lasted only a second.

He tried to feel something, he really did. But it just felt all wrong. The kiss was cold and detached – the way kissing wasn't supposed to feel at all. He pushed away the sudden memory of Kurt's lips against his own. That was behind him now - he had to let it go.

Blaine thought he saw movement through the crack of the door.

Someone was there.

Blaine craned his neck to see if he could recognize who was listening at the door.

He thought he caught a glimpse of the back of Kurt's head as the boy broke out into a run away from the room.

He vaguely heard Iliana chattering about wedding gowns, but none of her words were processing in his mind.

A sense of dread was filling him, claiming the majority of his focus.

"If you'll excuse me," he interrupted his fiancé's monologue on designer dressed.

He heard his father and Iliana calling after him, but he ignored them. Without an explanation, he strode out of the room.

All Blaine knew was that he had to find Kurt.

* * *

><p>Kurt reached his bedroom in record time, slamming the door behind him and locking it – something he never did.<p>

He couldn't even make it to his bed before his legs gave out from under him. He collapsed onto the floor, knocking against his dresser as he did so. There was a sharp pain in his shoulder from where he came into contact with the knobs of the drawers, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The only hurt that mattered was the hurt in his heart.

Kurt's breathing was harsh a hand was unconsciously clutching his chest. He half expected to find a hole there – it felt like someone had physically cut out his heart, his chest ached so much. He doubled over and brought his knees to his chest.

He shut his eyes tight as hot tears streamed from the corners. Maybe when he opened them again it'd all be a dream. Blaine would still love him and want to be with him.

Kurt silently cursed himself. Blaine hadn't even said he'd loved him in the first place. It was all in Kurt's mind. The realization just made him feel worse.

He was beginning to think he'd never be able to get up. There was nothing he wanted more than to just curl up in a ball and let the despair have him. Getting up meant accepting it and forcing himself to begin to move on. He didn't think he'd be able to handle any of it – the pain was too great.

He felt…empty.

Kurt was thinking up a method of reaching his bed that didn't require moving when he heard a light tapping on his door.

Kurt looked up warily. His lip was trembling as tears streamed down his face, leaving water stains on his shirt. Even though he'd regained his ability to speak, he said nothing. Now he didn't want to talk. Ever again, in fact.

He stayed silent as whoever was at the door knocked again, this time louder. Still he made no movement to get up. He waited.

"Kurt?"

Blaine's voice was soft and questioning. It sounded as if he was unsure if he was wanted there. Kurt decided he didn't like that tone of voice. Not one bit.

Still Kurt didn't make to answer and he didn't budge from his spot on the ground. He did hastily wipe away his tears as if Blaine could see him. He sniffled. The small sound broke the awkward silence and seemed to sound ten times louder than usual. Kurt didn't want Blaine to know he was crying.

"Are you awake?"

Blaine tried the door handle, but of course it didn't relent. It was shut tight.

"You…locked the door?" He sounded shocked.

Kurt got up, supporting himself on the dresser and grabbing the post-it note pad. Even if he felt like talking, he wouldn't talk to Blaine. Not now.

He wrote the first excuse he could think of and walked over to the door. He unlocked it and opened it a crack.

"Kurt," Blaine sighed in relief. "Are you okay?"

Kurt just handed Blaine the post-it note he'd already written out.

It said, "_Sorry, I was sleeping_."

Blaine read the note and nodded his head. Kurt got the feeling that he wasn't fooled, but he couldn't actually bring himself to care.

They stood in the first awkward silence that had ever fallen between them. Kurt stood in the doorway of the room, his body language implying that Blaine wasn't welcome. Blaine had his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, looking down at the floor.

"So…" Blaine began, looking up. "Can I come in?"

He flashed Kurt a kind smile. After a brief inner debate on the matter, Kurt gave up and pushed the door open wide enough for Blaine to pass. The other boy walked into the room and sat on the edge of Kurt's bed.

Kurt closed the door behind him and made his way to the bed. He perched himself warily on the edge a good five feet from Blaine.

He stared at his own feet, waiting for Blaine to say something.

"You look…"

Kurt met Blaine's eyes.

"…terrible," Blaine finished.

Kurt felt himself sag in disappointment. He referred to his trusty post-it note pad again.

"_I'm just tired_," he wrote.

Blaine nodded, not questioning this second, more obvious lie. There was no way he'd missed Kurt's red-rimmed eyes. It wasn't possible for him to have not overheard Kurt's crying jag. They both knew that Kurt had been eavesdropping, but it was like neither one of them wanted to bring up the obvious problem. Kurt felt too weary to offer anything else.

"I'm getting married," Blaine blurted.

Kurt widened his eyes, pretending to be shock. He had the nagging feeling that he was failing miserably, but still he gave it a shot. He looked at Blaine as if to say "_Oh really?_"

Blaine nodded and sighed. "Yeah. To Iliana."

"_You don't say_," Kurt wrote. "_I wasn't aware she attended._"

"Yeah, she was there. I caught up to her after the ball and asked her." Blaine gave Kurt a weak smile. "It's what my dad wanted," he clarified.

Kurt nodded slowly. Hearing that it wasn't Blaine's choice didn't make him feel any better. In fact, maybe it made him feel a little worse. Knowing Blaine was forced into it made Kurt feel like he wasn't worth fighting for.

"I didn't want to," Blaine offered, reaching for Kurt's hand. At the last possible moment, Kurt brought his hand from the bedspread to the safety of his own lap - well out of Blaine's reach.

"My dad made me."

Kurt just continued nodding. Anything to make Blaine leave faster.

"Look, I know we...kissed." Blaine twisted his fingers nervously.

Kurt stiffened. What was once a pleasant memory now caused a flash of pain to go through him. He almost wished it had never happened.

"But this is how it has to be," Blaine finished quietly. "I'm sorry."

Kurt didn't acknowledge the apology. It meant nothing to him. They were just words. Words didn't count for anything unless they actually meant something. Sorry wouldn't save either of them from getting hurt.

Kurt looked at Blaine from the corner of his eye and watched Blaine hang his head. He knew the other boy was sensing that he was losing a silent argument.

"_I'd better get some rest,_" Kurt wrote after a long pause. "_I'm still pretty tired._"

He knew the excuse was pathetic, but Blaine accepted it without question.

"So, I guess I'll see you later then."

Kurt looked at Blaine in confusion. If he had his way, he would never leave this room again.

"At the wedding," Blaine clarified, generating another tense silence.

Kurt nodded once before throwing his sheets back and climbing into bed for good measure. He pulled the blankets up to his chin and rolled over until he was facing away from Blaine.

Tears spilled over his eyelids and rolled down his face. Kurt could feel the wetness streaking down his cheeks and spilling onto his neck, but he didn't make a sound.

Blaine stood there for a moment before Kurt heard the other boy finally leaving the room and closing the door as quietly as possible behind him.

Kurt could feel his shoulder's shaking as the tears fell faster. How would he ever be able to face Blaine – the man he loved – ever again?

He covered his face with the sheets and wept.

What was he going to do now?


	20. Under Love's Heavy Burden

_A/N: Holy Stromboli, a lot has happened since I last updated! First and foremost, I have to give the world's biggest, fuzziest thank you to the magnanimous Muchacha11 who has blessed this here fic with a lovely drawing! If you haven't seen it, it's here:_

_ .com(slash)post(slash)7869685752(slash)lil-merman-kurt-in-watercolors-inspired-by_

_It's beyond perfect - it's so much more than I'd envisioned. A million thank you's to her! _

_I know that brought a tidal wave of readers here. But I don't care if that drawing brought you here, if you got here by browsing this website, or whatever. The point is you're here and I value **each and every one of you**. From the kind people who review to the ones who take the time to stop by my tumblr to the people who prefer to read and stay silent. **All of you, THANK YOU.**_

* * *

><p>Blaine fumbled with the button his tux. He couldn't help it, his hands were sweaty and he couldn't get a grip on the tiny plastic fastening. He let out a groan before giving up.<p>

"Here, I'll get it," Wes said, stepping forward.

A few of the Warblers were lounging around Blaine's bedroom, all clothed in their wedding attire. Blaine could see them glancing at him in the reflection of his mirror, but as soon as he caught them, they'd turn away.

"Thanks," Blaine muttered.

"Look, Blaine…" Wes hesitated as he tried to find the right words.

"Don't, Wes. Just…don't say it."

"You don't know what he was going to say," Jeff defended from where he sat on the edge of Blaine's bed.

"I know exactly what he was going to say. He was going to say what you're all thinking. And, to be honest, I don't want to hear it, guys." Blaine took a deep breath, straightening his red tie for what had to be the tenth time.

"Oh, check it out," Jeff flicked Nick's knee. "Now he can read minds."

"You know what I mean," Blaine sighed. He turned back to his mirror, but he could still feel their gazes.

There was a moment of tense silence.

"Stop it!" Blaine hissed.

"Stop what?" David asked. "Blaine, none of us are saying a word."

"It's like I can _feel_ you judging me." He whirled around to face his friends.

"Well can you blame us?" Nick asked, giving Blaine an incredulous look. "You're about to…"

"Do something stupid?" Wes supplied.

"Sign into the last legal form of slavery?" Jeff quipped.

"Make a _mistake_," Nick finished, glaring at the other two.

"We've been through this." Blaine shut his eyes, feeling beyond frustrated. "I don't have a choice anymore, you guys." He shook his head. "I _have_ to do this."

"No you don't!" Nick pushed off the bed. Blaine wasn't sure if he'd ever seen the boy so upset before. "You can tell your dad to get a grip. What's the worst that could happen?"

"_What's the worst that could happen?_" Blaine repeated. "The worst that could happen is my dad hating me. If it weren't for this wedding he wouldn't be able to look me in the eye. If I hadn't told him I was marrying Iliana, he wouldn't speak to me at all. Before the other day, do you know how long it'd been since I'd seen him smile at me? I've already lost my mom, Nick. I don't need to lose my dad, too. Not while he's still here." He shook his head.

A look of shame flickered across Nick's face, but he only paused for a second.

"Your dad will get over it. There has to be another way - _any_ other way, Blaine. Just don't do this."

"I wish I knew another way," Blaine looked at his friend kindly. "But there just isn't one."

"What about Kurt?" Jeff burst out. He seemed unable to control himself and had gotten up from the bed and come to Nick's side.

Blaine felt his eyes going wide.

"How did you…"

"Blaine, please," Wes said from the window where he'd wandered to. "If you think you were honestly fooling anyone, I don't know what's wrong with you."

"And after that kiss last night?" David added with raised eyebrows. "I think pretty much everyone knows."

It was suddenly very hot and Blaine adjusted the collar of his dress shirt nervously. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his reflection in the tall gilded mirror; his whole face was burning red.

"W-well…" he stammered. "That's completely beside the point."

"That _is_ the point," Jeff insisted. "Why is it so hard for you to admit you have feelings for Kurt? No one here's going to judge you for it, Blaine."

Blaine felt something coiling in the pit of his stomach, something reminiscent of fear. He was nearly paralyzed with it for reasons he didn't understand. In the furthest corner of his mind he knew these were his closest friends, but still he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge the truth of Jeff's words out loud.

There was no reason to drag Kurt into this. The less they knew, the better it would be for Kurt.

"There's nothing between Kurt and I," Blaine murmured.

Blaine could practically _hear_ the boys rolling their eyes even though he wasn't looking at any of them. In fact, he was staring intently at the pattern of the curtains hanging along the window and trying to will the floor beneath him to open up and swallow him whole.

"That is absolute _crap_ and you know it," Nick said.

"No it's not," Blaine lied. "There's nothing there. Never was."

"_And now there never will be_," he thought to himself miserably.

"Okay," Wes threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "You don't have to say it, Blaine, but we all know. Everyone in this room knows what was going on between you and Kurt. I can only speak for myself when I say I'm disappointed in you." He gave Blaine a cold stare. "I never thought you'd be one to sacrifice love for politics."

"It's not about politics anymore…"

"Yes it is!" Jeff interjected yet again. "So maybe you won't be ruling the country…" Blaine had brought all the Warblers up to speed – something he was sorely regretting now. "But you'll still be making Iliana the queen." He pulled a face at the idea before going on. "Isn't that what your dad wants? He wants to paint a pretty picture for the public and for the press. 'Prince Anderson Finally Settles Down' and all of that."

There was a silence as Jeff's words sank in.

"You don't understand," Blaine said quietly.

"I think we do," Nick clasped Blaine's shoulder. "I think you just don't _want_ us to. Don't isolate yourself, Blaine. You don't always have to be strong and you don't have to be alone."

The other Warblers in the room nodded their heads.

"Thanks guys," Blaine said, looking at them each in turn. "But I don't think there's a way out of this one."

"Nonsense. We'll _find_ a way. Just say the word and we'll get you out of this," David promised.

"Yeah," piped up Wes. "We'll hijack the guests' cars."

"Pay off the minister…"

"Kidnap the bride and hold her for ransom…"

"Steal all of the food."

Everyone turned to Jeff with looks of confusion.

"Okay, so it wouldn't stop the wedding. I'm just hungry and it sounded like a good idea," he admitted.

"What were _trying _to say," Nick elbowed Jeff while he spoke, "is that all you have to do is ask."

"That's nice of you all, but you know I won't ask you guys to do any of that – as tempting as it is." He chuckled before becoming somber again. "No, this is what I have to do."

Before his friends could argue with him again, he crossed the room and exited out of the door. After a moment, he heard grumbling intermingled with four sets of footsteps following him down the hall.

When they finally caught up to him, they all walked in silence.

* * *

><p>A single tear rolled off the tip of Kurt's nose and landed in the water below him. The tiny droplet caused his reflection to become distorted as groups of ripples cascaded from where it landed.<p>

He was sitting on a pier he hadn't even known had existed until that very day. When he'd finally emerged from his bedroom, he'd thought to take a walk to help clear his mind.

Well that plan had failed miserably. He'd wandered down to the beach only to see preparations for Blaine's spur-of-the-moment wedding in full swing. There were people running about, shouting orders, and setting up chairs and tables. A small, white stage had been built right on the sand where the blissful couple would surely exchange their marital vows later that evening.

The sight of it all made Kurt feel sick to his stomach and extremely bitter. In blind grief, he'd stumbled away from the castle further and further down the beach until the sight was nothing more than a few tiny specks from his vantage point.

After the long walk that mostly consisted of him crying and struggling against the dunes of the sand, he'd come across the pier. It looked sturdy enough and low to the water, though unused; not a single boat was moored to it.

The feel of the warm wood was a nice contrast to the cool send against his bare feet. When he'd come to the end of the pier – jutting so far into the ocean that the water was relatively calm – he'd sat down on the edge of it, allowing himself to mull over things.

He'd thought he'd been all cried out; his eyes were sore from being wiped, his nose was aching from all the sniffling, and above all he felt empty. He'd cried so much that his head felt light and all the weight of his anguish had transferred to his heart until it felt heavy. He'd cried so much that he hurt all over and felt as if instead of lessening his grief, every tear shed had intensified it; acknowledged its presence and its power. He was a slave to it.

Kurt's vision was blurry with tears when he heard two splashes near where his feet were dangling. He blinked until he could see clearly again. When he realized who it was, his spirits lifted by a fraction.

"Mercedes," he gave her watery smile. "Rachel," he turned to face the small crab, relieved to see two very familiar faces. "What are you guys doing here?" As soon as the small spark of happiness had appeared, it faded. "If you're here to say 'I told you so', don't waste your breath."

"Kurt, you know we wouldn't…" Mercedes eyed Rachel before correcting herself. "Well, at least _I_ wouldn't say that."

"Hey, I wasn't going to say it either," Rachel defended herself. "Though I _did_ tell him, didn't I?" she muttered. When she found herself on the receiving end of one of Mercedes' infamous glares, Rachel backed away. "Okay, that's not the point, you're right."

"How did you know where to find me?" Kurt asked hoarsely.

"Well…" Mercedes hesitated, "We've actually been following you."

Kurt narrowed his eyes, awaiting what he was sure would be a fascinating explanation.

"Don't be mad," Rachel butted in. "We just wanted to know how it was going with you. We, er, had Finn look in on you from time to time too."

"Great," Kurt said with a sharp edge to his voice. "That's just great. So you all know about how I completely failed then."

"Maybe just a little bit," Mercedes conceded.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm a little preoccupied with a bigger problem."

But that felt like a lie to Kurt. Maybe he should be more worried about the deal he'd made with Sue and how he only had a few hours left. But somehow imprisonment was taking a backseat to his mind to the complete rejection he was experiencing.

So what if he'd forfeited his right to freedom? So what if he'd sacrificed his friends and the only family he had? None of it mattered anymore. A life without Blaine, well what kind of life would that be anyways?

Truth be told, he didn't know what kind of life he would be going back to, if any. Did his dad miss him? Did anyone really notice he was gone?

Mercedes always had a knack for knowing what he was thinking and now wasn't an exception.

"Kurt, your dad misses you. He's been looking for you."

"Have you been back?" Kurt asked, sitting up straighter.

"Well…no," Rachel said sheepishly. "We haven't gone back at all, but word travels."

There was a squawk overhead and a flapping of wings before a disheveled looking Finn crash landed on the pier.

"Don't you know how to fly by now?" Mercedes snapped.

"No…not really," Finn mumbled, getting up and brushing away loose feathers. "What? It's harder than it looks."

"So I guess you're here to join the pity party then," Kurt prompted.

"Pity party? What? No." Finn looked confused, which was nothing new for him. "I'm here to ask you why you're not getting ready for your wedding."

Mercedes was making a slashing motion under her chin with her fin and Rachel was shaking her head and mouthing "No". But it was too late, the damage was done.

Kurt didn't answer for a moment. He didn't bother trying to hide the hot tears that were trailing down his face again through the familiar paths and staining the collar of his shirt.

When he spoke, his voice was thick. "Haven't you heard, Finn? It's not my wedding."

It took Finn a moment to really realize what Kurt was saying as comprehension slowly dawned on him.

"But that can't be right," Finn persisted. He shook his head, refusing to believe Kurt. "I heard everyone talking about it…"

"Yeah, well, you assumed wrong, Finn. It wasn't me. It was _never_ me."

Kurt turned away from his friends and bit down on his lip, trying to fight against the surge of sadness threatening to overtake him again.

"Just imagine how completely stupid I felt as I got ready to march in there and accept Blaine's proposal…Only to hear that Blaine's gone and engaged himself to someone else before I even woke up. And that he _loves_ her, you guys. He loves her."

That was all he could say before breaking off into a soft sob. He held the sides of his stomach as he hunched over. It felt like he was literally holding himself together and if he let go he'd fall the pieces.

Kurt felt broken. Broken and lost, like he was being sucked into a never ending black hole of heartbreak and couldn't begin to fathom where it would end or lead him. Sometimes it hurt too much, sometimes it became too much to bear. The sting of his loss was a heavy burden that both separated him from feeling anything but sorry and also anchored him to the present.

The pain meant he'd gotten a taste of something real and tried for it. Loss for not only the loss of a friend and a potential partner, but of an entire future as well. A future he thought he'd wanted, but now he wasn't so sure. The emptiness meant that at one time he'd been completely full to notice the absence of hope now. The grief meant it had really happened; it meant that if wasn't made up or faked. Now he had to learn how to live with himself.

But how did he go on from here? How was he supposed to cope with knowing Blaine had turned him away? How could he go on knowing Blaine had never really considered him a liable option?

"I was such an _idiot_," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I deluded myself into thinking I had a chance with Blaine. I never did. This was all just a waste of time. I never should have left home. I never should have left my dad." He drew his knees to his chest and hugged them.

Finn awkwardly patted Kurt's shoulder.

"Maybe Blaine could have loved you," he told Kurt.

"Don't say that, Finn," Kurt whispered. "It hurts too much. It's bad enough to deal with what _is_, let alone what _could have_ been. Whatever could have been _died_ the moment Blaine proposed to that girl."

Still, Finn didn't give up.

"What if he does love you? What about your voice?" Finn seemed proud of himself. "Your voice came back, that means something."

"It means the potion's wearing off," Rachel answered for Kurt. "We heard Sue ourselves. She said it'd begin to wear off on the fifth day."

"Which ends tonight," Mercedes clarified to a puzzled Finn. "Around sundown."

Kurt nodded sadly. He'd realized it earlier in his bedroom. He'd also begun to feel more and more weak as the hours slipped away from him. It almost was like he was losing the strength in his legs.

Judging by the low position of the sun hanging dangerously low over the water, he didn't have much time. Maybe more than an hour if he was lucky. Soon these legs would disappear and become the fin they'd originally started out as.

"So what's your plan?" Mercedes shot at Kurt. "To sit here in self-pity until you're time's up and just wait for Sue to show up? She's probably lurking nearby – no doubt she's been using Santana and Brittany to keep an eye. She'll be waiting for you."

"Yeah, that's pretty much my plan," Kurt said in a surly tone. "Got a better one?"

"Not yet," she retorted. "But I'm sure as heck not going to sit here and watch you do nothing. That's not going to help anything. There has to be something you can do."

"Don't you get it?" Kurt narrowed his eyes. "There's nothing I can do to change this. I can't convince Blaine not to marry his fiancé and even if I did, my time would be up by then. It's over, I lost. Let's just forget it."

"But that means you're giving up," Finn said.

"Yes, Finn," Kurt spoke slowly through gritted teeth. "I'm giving up. I tried my best and it didn't work. There's nothing left for me to do here."

"What about Blaine?" Mercedes burst out. "Don't you think he deserves some kind of explanation? Don't you think he'll want to know where you disappeared off to? I thought you loved him."

Kurt swallowed hard. "I _do_ love him. But it's not enough."

"Have you ever told him? Does he even know that you feel that way about him?"

"No, of course not," Kurt looked indignant. "I couldn't exactly tell him, could I?"

"So now is your chance. What if you never see him again? What if he never knows? Do you want him to marry that princess?"

"Don't even say that, Mercedes. You know I don't."

"Then go _do_ something about it."

Kurt thought it over for a second before finding his resolve. Maybe she was right. Maybe telling him would be enough. Maybe then, he'd have truly done everything in his power.

"Okay, you're right," he admitted, standing up. "I have to try. There's nothing else for me to lose," he reasoned.

"That's the spirit!" Finn exclaimed.

Kurt groaned. "It's so far away."

He squinted and held his hand to shield his eyes from the glare of the setting sun. He could see a crowd of people had already gathered at the other end of the beach. Inwardly he was cursing himself for walking so far. It seemed to be miles away. How would he ever make it?

"You don't have much time," Rachel warned him. "If you're going to go, you need to go _now_."

"What are you guys going to do?" he asked, already backing away from the edge of the pier.

Mercedes and Rachel looked at each other for a moment, thinking of what they could do.

"Well don't just swim there," Finn said. "Go get help."

They both looked blankly at him.

"You told me earlier that half of the ocean is looking for you. So go get help, go get Kurt's dad. Honestly, don't you guys think?"

"Finn, that just might be the smartest thing you've ever said," Kurt complimented. "You two go. Consider me gone!" he tossed over his shoulder as he ran down the pier.

When he hit the sand, it was a full-out fight against the uneven sand and the sea breeze moving against him. There were sharp pains shooting down his legs the further he went, but he wasn't going to stop.

Not this time.

* * *

><p>Instead of a small, private wedding like they'd planned on, there seemed to be quite the turn out.<p>

When he was younger, Blaine had never pictured his wedding on the beach, but here it was laid out before him. And judging by the amount of guests arriving, it wasn't going to change any time soon.

There were rows upon rows of chairs set up that were becoming occupied with people of noble stature. Then there were tables towards the back laden with expensive-looking gifts. Boxes and bags of every size decorated tastefully and almost overflowing the tables.

Blaine felt overwhelmed. Maybe he was getting in over his head. Marriage was a right of passage - one that was taken seriously in the eyes of society. He hadn't been very happy about getting married in the first place, but seeing everything set up and knowing it was almost time was making him feel uneasy. A sense of dread was settling over him with each passing minute.

"What time is it?" he asked Jeff, anxiety leaking through his voice.

"It's a minute later than the last time you asked me," the blonde boy replied sarcastically. "Relax, Blaine. It's just a wedding. What could possibly go wrong?"

"He could marry the girl," answered Trent.

This caused all of the Warblers sitting in the front row to roar with laughter.

"I'm glad _someone_ can get a kick out of my problems," Blaine said, crossing his arms.

"Oh calm down," Wes said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Calm down?" Blaine threw up his arms. "Well that's just rich coming from _you_."

Wes looked heavenward and took a deep breath. "We've been through this, Blaine. _You_ chose Iliana, _you_ agreed to this, and this was _your_ decision. Don't get mad at us."

"You're right." Blaine hung his head. "I shouldn't take out my stress on you guys. I'm just…nervous, I guess," he lied.

"Well don't be," Flint said from the end of the row. "It'll be over soon."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," Blaine muttered to himself.

He stood at the front of the short aisle and was leaning against the stage. When the minister came walking down the aisle, Blaine straightened up.

The minister was a middle aged man with a prominent bald spot. He wore black robes, carried a thick book, and had a look of experience about him as if he'd done this many, many times before.

"Here's the lucky groom!" he exclaimed, patting Blaine's back. "Just wait 'til you see her, lad. If you thought you were in love before, you haven't seen anything yet."

Blaine plastered a smile on his face. "I can't wait," he said.

He followed the minister up the couple of stairs at the base of the stage and stood waiting. There was nothing left to do but wait.

Blaine was starting to wring his hands and tap his foot against the stage floor, emitting small clicking noises from his dress shoes. His chest felt tight and his stomach was turning. He knew it was normal for the groom to feel nervous, but he was feeling downright horrified.

His dad emerged from the crowd of people milling about and walked down the aisle to the stage.

"Blaine," he said, holding open his arms. "Look at you. You look like a real man."

Blaine was a little offended and unsure if that qualified as a compliment, but he didn't argue. All he could do was try to look as if he was even remotely happy with the situation.

"Thanks, Dad. You don't look too bad yourself."

James was wearing a light gray suit and had his dark waves combed back. There was a red handkerchief folded in the pocket of his jacket and peeping out of the top.

"Well, I should go sit down before the wedding starts." He turned to leave, but halted before even taking a step. He turned back to face Blaine. "I'm proud of you, son. You're taking responsibility, taking the initiative. It's a nice change."

Again, Blaine couldn't help but feel that this was just a masked insult, but he didn't point it out.

"Dad," Blaine called just before the man reached the steps. "You would be proud of me…even if I wasn't marrying Iliana today, right?"

The happiness that was in his father's eyes a moment before seemed to drain right out of his face in a matter of seconds. He didn't answer, he just gave Blaine a disapproving look.

"Let's not talk in 'what if's', Blaine. The fact is that you _are_ marrying her. That's all that matters to me."

James turned around and without a second look, walked off of the stage and went to sit in the front row. Blaine was still looking at him and was dismayed when his father deliberately turned away from the stage to talk with the person sitting next to him.

The Warblers, who had been listening in on the conversation, all fell into a stunned silence. Nick looked about ready to jump out of his seat, but Jeff was holding the boy's arm and shaking his head.

Every seat was occupied now and Blaine could see Iliana's family sitting on the left side of the aisle. Her parents - a tall red-head woman with fair skin and a stout, older man with graying hair – waved at him eagerly. They looked thrilled. Blaine managed a small wave back before the music started.

Well, he assumed the music started. He hadn't heard it, but soon every face was turned away from the stage and facing the back of the aisle. He heard the crowd give a collective sigh. He realized he should probably be looking at Iliana instead of looking around at the people.

She was a vision in white with a traditional, shimmering veil covering her face and a bouquet of violets in her hand. Blaine couldn't remember the name of the gown designer, but it fit her perfectly and she held it up a bit in front from where it hit the ground. Her dark hair was curled and framing her face just right.

Yes, she was beautiful. But still he felt nothing for her. Watching her march down the aisle and moving steadily closer didn't make his heart race or make him feel like the luckiest man in the world. In fact, he almost wished the aisle were longer to lengthen the distance between them. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to smile or think of her in a way other than platonic.

The panic was ebbing away, but in its place came a sense of being numb. He could feel himself going through the motions but he wasn't committing anything to memory. There was a long introductory speech given by the minister that he completely tuned out. He chose a spot behind the minister's head and just stared straight ahead, completely uncaring and unfeeling.

There were small things that he had to have done that he didn't remember. He didn't remember pulling back Iliana's veil, but it was no longer in her face. He couldn't remember saying his vows, but he heard her return them. He didn't remember who brought him the wedding band or when he had even bought it, but there he was, poising the ring to slide it on her fourth finger.

Of course it fit. Of course it was a perfect size and went on easily. Of course it glistened in the setting sun and looked like it was made especially for her. It looked that way, but Blaine knew it was all wrong. He knew he couldn't take it back.

It was almost as if he was in a deep stupor that he wasn't willing to pull himself out of. He felt completely desensitized to anything and everything, like he was devoid of all happiness. It was a strange, hollow feeling, but he supposed he'd have to get used to it.

"Does anyone present object to this union? If they do, then speak now or forever hold your peace."

Blaine sighed. It seemed like the rut of tradition and maybe an act of mere politeness to ask. No one ever objected. No one was going to save him.

"You can't do this!" a voice called out.

A gasp rippled through the audience, causing Blaine's head to snap up and turn to face the aisle. He was shocked to see that Kurt was the one who spoke.

"I won't let you," Kurt said.

Blaine was stunned. There was Kurt, the one person he'd been wanting to see the most – even if he didn't know it until now – standing on the beach wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and a t-shirt soaked through with sweat. He looked out of breath and a complete mess compared to the guests wearing tuxes and gowns, but Blaine didn't care. All that mattered was that he was there.

"Kurt," Blaine said softly.

The guests broke out into worried mumbling as they looked back and forth between the two boys.

"You can talk," was all Blaine could think to say.

A mass of confusion broke out at that. Everyone was looking at Blaine like he was off his rocker, but that was the least of Blaine's concerns at the moment.

"Uh…" The minister cleared his throat. "I say, boy, if you don't have a formal reason why these two should not be wed, then you're wasting our time."

"Well, I don't know if it's formal," Kurt said, still panting slightly. "But it's a reason." He looked Blaine straight in the eyes, unleashing the full force of those blue irises on him. "Blaine, I love you."

The crowd was in an uproar. There were so many protests and angry shouting that Blaine couldn't hear anything. He'd dropped Iliana's hand and was staring at Kurt intently, wondering if he was just imagining this.

There were many expressions of shock and some of disgust. Blaine even thought he heard a commotion as someone fainted. He could see his father out of the very edge of his eye, seeing that he was visibily fuming. But Blaine didn't look at his father, or anyone else for that matter. He didn't say anything either. He only had eyes for the boy at the end of the aisle.

The only people, in fact, that looked excited by this development were the Warblers on Blaine's right hand side who were all grinning and exchanging high fives. He distinctly heard Jeff saying "I told you so" to anyone who would listen.

There was silence as Kurt spoke.

"I love you," he repeated as if he weren't sure Blaine had heard it the first time. "And you can't marry her." He pointed to Iliana.

* * *

><p>Kurt had thought he wouldn't be brave enough to tell Blaine the truth. But now that it was out there, he didn't have a problem saying it. He'd really just interrupted a royal wedding and told the groom to be that he was in love with him.<p>

The chaos ensuing was beyond anything he imagined. The people nearest him, presumably the bride's family, were extremely opposed to him and shouting objections left and right.

He didn't know what to make of Blaine's reaction. He hadn't said anything yet and his look was just like everyone else's: shocked. There were no tell-tale signs that he was pleased or angry. For the first time since confessing his feelings, Kurt felt nervous. Would he be able to take a second, more public rejection?

He swallowed hard as a hush came over the crowd. Everyone was waiting for Blaine's response.

"Well?" Kurt heard the minister ask.

"I…" Blaine looked back and forth between Kurt and Iliana in confusion. "Er…we should…We should go talk," he said directly to Kurt.

The audience seemed to in disbelief at Blaine's answer and no one said anything. There was a tense silence. A silence that was broken by none other than the bride herself.

"You're going to _talk_ to him?" she asked Blaine shrilly. "What does that mean? Does that mean the wedding is off?"

Kurt felt a surge of guilt and pity for the girl he didn't know. Sure, he didn't like her much, but he could hear the hurt in her voice and see the disappointment in her eyes. It was as if he was robbing her of her dream wedding, which he probably was. But his sympathy for her was short-lived as he heard her scream in frustration.

She took off the ring Blaine had just placed on her finger and threw it to the ground in her fury.

"When you're ready to be sane again, then you can come talk to me," she said, glaring at Blaine before stomping off the stage in a huff.

One of her siblings ran after her as she walked away from the beach.

Suddenly Kurt realized how awkward he must look dressed in street clothes and being the cause of a postponed wedding. He didn't want to draw the attention to himself again, but it couldn't be avoided when Blaine walked down the aisle and grabbed his hand.

His eyes were wide as Blaine led him away from the wedding setup, leaving the disdained crowd behind them.

The section of beach concealed by high rocks was nearby. Kurt found himself thinking that it was ironic that they were headed towards it, since that was where he and Blaine first spoke. But as the walked together now, they said nothing.

Kurt wasn't so sure of himself now; he didn't know quite what to say or how he would even begin to explain anything to Blaine. It all seemed like one big, hopeless mess now. He'd weaved a very tangled web – a web he couldn't see a way out of now.

The rocks gave them as much privacy as they could afford at the moment. Blaine released his grip on Kurt's hand and Kurt didn't know if that was a bad sign or not.

"So…" Blaine prompted.

"So…" Kurt replied.

"Look," Blaine said, "I know this a lot and I don't even know where to begin. How about we start with the easy question? Your voice." When Kurt said nothing, Blaine tried again. "It's back. How?"

"Actually that's not an easy question," Kurt said, turning away from Blaine and walking to the water's edge.

"Just tell me it wasn't a lie," Blaine begged. "Just don't say that you've been pulling my leg this past week and just…Just don't say that."

"What? No. No, of course I wasn't lying to you. I really couldn't speak. Do you think it was easy for me to deal with that? It was really embarrassing actually and very inconvenient. That's not the complicated part." Blaine was listening attentively, showing no sign of interrupting Kurt. "I just…can't explain how I lost it in the first place."

"Why not?" Blaine asked. "That should be the easiest part to explain. Just tell me. You know I'll believe you. If there's something you aren't, Kurt, it's a liar."

"Funny, that's not what you were just implying."

"I'm sorry," Blaine said forlornly. "That _was_ a low blow. I trust you, Kurt. Whatever you have to tell me, I won't judge you."

The sky was turning from orange to purple - the night was beginning to fall. Kurt felt weak and his legs hurt so badly, he had to sit down. He winced as he sat down, gritting his teeth as he did so.

"Kurt, are you okay?" Blaine asked, coming closer.

Kurt waved him away. There wasn't time for worry anymore.

"I'm fine, it's nothing," he lied. "Look, if you want the truth, it's pretty…strange." Kurt flexed his legs and dug his heels in the sand. "You'll think I'm crazy."

"I could never think that," Blaine laughed lightly.

"What if…What if I told you that I wasn't exactly…entirely human?" Kurt shut his eyes. The last part of his sentence had come out in a jumble of rushed words running into one another, but he'd said it.

"Okay, I take it back," Blaine said warily. "You _do_ sound crazy."

"I'm sorry, but that's the truth." Kurt reopened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"That's the truth?" Blaine said, his voice growing louder. "You just sit there and say you aren't human and that's the best explanation you can come up with? You're…you're insane. I can't deal with you right now."

Blaine was pacing back and forth in the sand and looked ticked off. This whole conversation was going downhill – and fast.

The searing pain in Kurt's legs was growing more and more unbearable by the moment. It felt like his bones were splintering and separating. The strength of his legs was fading fast and he felt almost paralyzed, like he couldn't move them if he tried.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe you interrupted my _wedding_ to bring me down here and tell me that you're what? An alien? A centaur? What?" His voice was thick with anger.

Kurt couldn't bring himself to protest, he was preoccupied with the blistering convulsions coursing through his legs. He lifted up a pant leg on his jeans to see his skin already covered with patches of scales. He was in trouble now.

* * *

><p>Blaine was facing away from Kurt. He felt completely overwhelmed by the direction their conversation had taken. How could he believe what Kurt was telling him? Not human? It was all impossible; he was being taken for a fool.<p>

"I don't like playing games," he told Kurt. "If this is all one big practical joke to you…"

He stopped short when he saw a shimmering reflection on the rocks in front of him. It was akin to when someone took a mirror and shone the light on it. Beams of golden light were flittering from rock to rock. But that didn't make sense, it was nighttime. The sun had set and there was no source of light – at least not light like that.

Blaine followed the beams of light to the source. They led down across the sand. Blaine turned around and followed the pathway with his eyes. It led back to Kurt.

The bottom half of Kurt's body was shining a bright, blinding light. It was so strong that Blaine had to cover his eyes. It only grew brighter and more powerful, causing Blaine to take a step back.

A second later, it disappeared all together.

Blaine uncovered his eyes. He wasn't at all prepared for what he saw.

Kurt was sitting in the sand still, but his legs were gone. Blaine rubbed his eyes, hoping that when he looked back, things would be normal again. But no, they weren't Where Kurt's legs had been a second ago was a long, gleaming fin.

A fin – like a fish. There were green scales covering each of it that glistened in the moonlight, throwing light into the night air.

Kurt looked like he couldn't believe it himself, but he recovered more quickly than Blaine. He looked on as Kurt pulled off the shirt and tossed it aside. Then suddenly, something came rushing up back to Blaine.

"Wait…" Blaine started. His heart was pounding as he remembered the night of his birthday – the night of that horrible shipwreck. He'd been saved by someone; someone he wasn't sure existed before now.

"It was you?" Blaine's perspective of Kurt completely changed.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.

"It _was_ you!" Blaine was sure of himself now. "You…Y-You saved me. That night, you saved me from the ship, didn't you? I thought you just saved me from the water, but no...You were actually there in the water that night, weren't you?"

"Yes," Kurt admitted, looking ashamed of himself.

"You're the one who brought me here," Blaine gestured to the spot they were in.

He'd thought the person who'd saved him and the boy who'd sang to him had been different people, but now he had the missing piece of the puzzle and it was all becoming clear to him.

"You're a…a…" he couldn't even bring himself to say it.

"Merman."

Blaine said nothing, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. But there was no denying it; the evidence was right in front of him.

"I have to go," Kurt said suddenly, his voice raising an octave. He sounded scared.

"Wait, but that's not all there is to say," Blaine protested.

"I've already broken the law by letting you see me," Kurt whispered. "And I have problems that are bigger than you and I, if you can believe that. I have to go."

He flipped over onto his stomach and used his elbows to propel himself towards the water.

"Wait!" Blaine called after him. "Kurt, please…"

But Kurt had ducked under an incoming wave and dove into the water, the last trace of his fin disappearing into the ocean.

Blaine squinted towards the water. He thought he saw the tentacle of an octopus appear around the same spot Kurt had disappeared into, but that made no sense at all.

There was a rush of feet from behind Blaine, but he was staggering towards the water already.

He was preparing to dive, when a strong pair of arms grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Blaine what are you doing?" David demanded.

Blaine struggled against him, trying to make for the water again.

"Kurt!" he called out. "Kurt!"

But he was gone.


	21. Do I Sink

Kurt's eyes hadn't yet readjusted underneath the surface of the waves when he felt something wrapping his body in a vice grip.

"Hey!" he shouted just before a black tentacle shot out to cover his mouth.

The more he tried to escape, the tighter the grasp became.

The suction from the underside of the tentacles pulled burned his skin and stretched tightly against it. His eyes started watering from the sheer force of it, but he didn't have the strength to fight back.

In fact, his body sagged with weariness and his eyelids were drooping. This was expected, this was his fate, this was his penance and he was ready for it; he'd been waiting for it.

He glared at Sue with as much hate as he could muster, but he didn't resist the pull of her limbs. There was not an ounce of will left in his entire being to combat the current on-goings.

Here he was again on middle ground. He couldn't return to Blaine, no matter how much he wanted to, and he had no where to go forward to. What was the point? Sue won. She's always planned on winning. All along she'd had an ace in the hole: him. She knew his weakness, she had been banking on it. Now he'd fallen into her trap head-first.

As if she sensed the vile thoughts in his mind, Sue flexed her tentacle to stretch further across Kurt's mouth and extended it to shield his nose as well. The lack of oxygen was making the ocean around them spin.

"Ah, my sweet Porcelain," she cooed in a mocking tone. "Don't take this personally. After all, we did have a deal. It's not you I'm after anyways." She waved her hand as if she were chatting amiably with an old friend. "It's your dear old Daddy I'm after. Remember that," she warned him.

Kurt's head was drooping the further he was towed along. His supply of air was running out quickly and the circulation in his arms was beginning to get cut off. He didn't have the strength to stay awake a moment longer.

So he didn't.

* * *

><p>"Let me go!" Blaine shouted.<p>

"No!" David tightened his grip on Blaine's arms as Wes and Jeff came to his aid.

Together, the three boys stopped Blaine from moving an inch further.

"I said_ let me go_!" Blaine protested their holds with everything he had, but it was no use.

"You can't go out there!" Jeff grunted.

"I can and I _will_." Blaine dug his heels into the sand, trying to push ahead.

He thrashed against his captors, hitting whatever piece of them he could manage. He used his elbows and his feet to his advantage, attacking the boys and trying to make a run for it. They were a wild tangle of hands and limbs. Even though he was far outnumbered, Blaine still resisted.

"Don't you think he's too far for you to catch now?" Nick asked from behind them. "Ever if you could swim that far, you won't find him and you know it."

That stopped Blaine mid-shove. His fellow Warblers released him.

"What…w-what do you know about Kurt?" he whispered, the color draining from his face.

Kurt had said something about breaking the law…Would he get punished for people knowing his secret? Blaine was filled with worry; his chest was tight with it.

"Well…" Nick looked embarrassed. "We followed you and, uh…" He was nervous – probably from the glare Blaine was sending his way.

Jeff came to his friend's rescue. "We saw this bright light and heard shouting, so we looked in on you two."

"Basically we saw the whole thing," Thad concluded. "Not that any of us believe it. My theory is some sort of group delirium."

"Shut up, Thad," Trent said.

"You guys _can't_ tell anyone," Blaine hasted to say, panic overtaking him.

"Who are we going to tell?" Wes asked.

"Oh, I don't know…" Blaine pretended to think for a second. "Maybe _everyone_?"

"Well as tempting as _that_ sounds, we'll have to decline," Jeff interrupted. "We wouldn't do that to Kurt. Or to you, man."

"Look, whatever. You know what? That's not the point. The point is that Kurt is out _there_ somewhere and I have to find him."

Blaine turned around and tried to make a break for the water. He was consequently tackled to the ground by a few of the nearby Warblers.

"Give it up!" David shouted breathlessly.

"Okay, okay," Blaine grumbled. "Just get off of me."

The boys stood and pulled him up with them. Blaine busied himself with dusting all the sand off his tux impatiently while stealing glances back towards the choppy water.

Nick patted him on the back. "You have to let him go, Blaine. It's your only option."

"Is it really?"

"Look, whether you like it or not, he's gone. And he's not coming back." Nick looked remorseful.

David stepped in. "You have other problems to face right now and you have to keep living your life. We're all better off pretending none of this ever happened."

The group nodded their agreement while mumbling promises of keeping it to themselves.

"I don't know if I can, you guys," Blaine admitted. "I don't know if I can…"

* * *

><p>Kurt opened his eyes slowly. His vision was blurring in and out of focus as he tried to gather his bearings. Try as he might, everything stayed fuzzy around the edges; he was weak.<p>

"W-Where…am I?" he mumbled. His throat ached terribly and his voice was nothing but a whisper.

"Talking will only make it worse," Sue said matter-of-factly. "That's a promise."

The area was shrouded in darkness and Kurt squinted as he tried to decipher where her voice was coming from. He was propped against a stone wall where his head was leaning against the hard rock, a steady throbbing rattling his thoughts.

He winced as he spoke again. "What are you talking about? What have you done to me?"

Too many questions. He was growing more and more feeble with every syllable, cracking over the last few words.

"Rule number one, Hummel: When I tell you something, believe it." Sue's voice echoed off the walls of the cavern. "As for what you're feeling…Well, those are the side-effects of a very special poison of my own making. I use it on all my prisoners. It prevents any…difficulties." She sounded as if she were getting a sick satisfaction from it all.

Kurt flexed his hands only to receive a sharp sting around his wrists. He looked down to see his arms and torso bound in a silver rope. It glinted like wire and was stiff and cold against his skin. Even the tiniest of movements caused the material to rip into his skin. His wounds were festering and oozing fresh blood; the red droplets were a stark contrast against his hauntingly pale skin.

Kurt could see it all happening before his eyes and he felt the pain of the initial incisions. He flinched with every breath he took, but instead of intensifying, the aching from his gashes felt as if they were fading.

The nerve endings on his fingertips were already going numb, almost like they'd fallen asleep, until he couldn't feel anything at all. The next time he tried to flex his fingers, his hand didn't move at all; it was disconnected to his body – a lifeless attachment.

Horror gripped him all at once.

"My hands," he cried, trying to regain control over them again. His arms were pinned to his sides, even more useless than before. They remained frozen and unmoving.

"Oh," Sue chuckled from nearby. "Did I mention that this particular poison causes paralysis? It's somewhat of a specialty of mine." Kurt could just about hear the grin in her voice. "It ensures that my prisoners don't escape and it makes their pain tolerance extremely heightened." She was pacing nearby; he could hear her shifting through the open space. "You know," she mused, "Some of them don't even know they're about to die until they're an inch from death. Then there's nothing they can do but wait…"

"You can't kill me," Kurt choked out. "You said it wasn't personal."

Sue let out a wicked peal of laughter.

"At first it wasn't personal," she confessed. "At first I wanted a clean way to be rid of you. But now that you're back here and I have you bound and with no possible way of escape, I can see now that I'll have to get rid of you myself."

"No…" he begged. "Please, don't do this."

"All life is a game of chance and I gave you one, Kurt. I gave you an easy out – a way for you to disappear without a trace. But you couldn't do it. You couldn't pay the price, so now I'm stuck with you. To keep you prisoner here for the rest of your sorry, miserable life wouldn't do either of us any good. We both know someone would come looking for you at some point and I can't just keep you around as evidence. No, that just won't do. I'll have to dispose of you _permanently_."

"Killing me…" He coughed heavily and was left panting and gasping for air. "Killing me…n-now…wouldn't get you anything."

"One less Hummel to deal with," she said. "Don't worry, Kurt. After you're dealt with, I'll move on to ending your father's reign. I'll make sure the two of you are…" She searched for the right word. "…_reunited_."

Finally she emerged from the darkness, almost right at his side.

"Don't do this," he tried again.

"Such a shame, really - a waste of a perfectly good prince. You were so close, too. I kept a close eye on you, my investment, and I was so sure you had this one in the bag. There's no one to blame here but yourself, Kurt."

"I know…" he whispered, regret coloring his voice.

"I like to make my mark, so to speak." She unsheathed a dagger before him, turning the blade over in her hands. What small amount of light was streaming in through the ceiling glinted off the sharp edges menacingly.

Kurt swallowed hard. His heart was pounding in his chest, so fast that it was hurting with every beat. The rhythm increased in tempo as she drew nearer to him. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to shift away from the impending danger, but he was physically unable to move any part of his body anymore. He could do nothing but look on in terror.

"Don't look so worried, Porcelain." Sue gave him a bone-chilling smile. "You won't feel a thing."

* * *

><p>"You won't feel a thing," Wes promised Blaine, rubbing his shoulders reassuringly. "It'll be as quick and painless as you make it."<p>

"You sound so sure…" Blaine took a deep breath to steady himself.

Jeff came up on his other side as they walked back up the beach.

"Just remember, dude: it's like ripping off a band-aid. Just go for it. You just have to tell him."

Blaine looked unconvinced. "And since when are you the expert at breaking bad news to your parents?"

He saw Jeff steal a glance at Nick before answering. "Uhh...I've had a little experience pretty recently," the blonde boy mumbled. "But that's not the point. All you have to do is look him in the eye and say, 'This is the way I am – like it or not.'"

"I don't know," Blaine worried. "I already tried doing just that and it didn't work out at all. Look where we are, at my sham of a wedding. That's how well it worked out last time."

"Ah, but you have something that you didn't have last time," David commented.

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Us."

* * *

><p>Kurt was unable to look away. Not because he was transfixed with the dangerous weapon inching closer to his bare skin, but because he literally could not look away. His face was spattered with tears he couldn't feel and his chest was tense with fear - a strong sense of trepidation. The venom had almost fully spread and his teeth were gritted together, preventing him from crying out.<p>

He was desperately trying to command his limbs to regain possession of themselves; he was urgently sending the signals to his brain to turn his face away at the very least, but the relief of such action never came.

He looked on as the tip of the knife met his side and slowly plunged a ways into his skin and cut upwards. True to Sue's word, he couldn't feel a thing at all, but he could _see_ the damage left behind; a red trail seeping over his skin and staining the blade a deep burgundy color.

It was a strange feeling, being able to see the detriment done to his body with his own two eyes but to not feel the pain connected to the actions. To see the gaping wound and sense the thick hot wetness spreading across his skin, but not hurt in the slightest.

It was almost worse than writhing in agony; it was being petrified and disengaged from what was happening. It was like he wasn't even residing over his body anymore, but watching from the outside looking in instead. There was dread swelling within his heart as he slowly became trapped within himself – a prisoner in his own body. The more he lost the strength in his limbs, the smaller his beacon of hope became. If he thought there was no way to escape this before, now all of his chances had finally run out.

His fate was sealed.

Sue laughed, relishing in his silent torture as she withdrew the blade ever so slightly. She nosed his chest with the tip and drew light circles there. Not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a light mark here and there.

"Here comes the fun part," she sneered. "This is the part where I watch you die."

Raising the knife high above her head, she took aim straight towards his heart. She flexed her fingers around the handle of it, preparing to swing.

"Goodbye, Kurt Hummel…"

Kurt shut his eyes, the only part of him he still had some control over.

"Not so fast!" A booming voice echoes throughout the cave.

Kurt's eyes flew open just in time to see a yellow bolt of light hit Sue from behind with a great enough force to cause her to drop the dagger.

He breathed a little easier as he searched for the familiar voice.

Burt emerged from the opening in the rocks to his right. He stood tall, trident in his hands with Mercedes and Rachel flanking him.

"Dad…" Kurt tried to say. It came out as a slurred murmur, but he said it all the same.

Sue spun around and glared at the king. She was visibly fuming with hatred, all but foaming at the mouth.

She barred her teeth and let out a low growl. "It can't be…"

* * *

><p>"<em>What<em> did you just say?" James roared.

"You heard me," Blaine said. "I won't be marrying Iliana. Not today and not ever, in fact. And that goes for any other girls you might have lined up as well."

The group stood behind the stage and away from the crowd of people who were still expecting a ceremony.

Blaine felt confident and sure of himself with his friends by his side. Their presence made him feel like no matter what, things would work out.

James spluttered incoherently and turned a violent shade of red.

"You are my son, Blaine, and the crown prince. Being as such, you _will_ obey me, or so help me…"

"I am a grown man," Blaine burst out. "I'm old enough to make my own decisions and if I can't rule a country, I can at least rule my own life. I'm capable of that much, you know. I don't need _you_ -" he jabbed at his dad's chest with his finger. "- telling me what to do and who to love or not love. I'm done with you."

"_Done_ with me?" James whispered in an amused manner.

"Yes, done with you. You have no power over me anymore. Kurt's…Kurt is…" Blaine couldn't even say it. "He's gone. So you can't threaten him or I any more. I've stood by too long and let you tell me what to do and let you make me feel ashamed of who I am…but not anymore." Blaine took a step backwards.

"Blaine, stop being ridiculous," James chided.

"This…" Blaine patted his chest. "_This_ is who I am. And your doubt and denial won't change that. I'm not going to live my life hiding the person that I am. If you can't accept that, then I'll leave. I'll pack up my stuff and go. You know why? Because I'd rather be happy and without a cent to my name than a miserable picture-perfect prince any day. And if that means never speaking to you again, if that means going out on the street on my own, if that means being all by myself…then that's fine by me."

The Warblers exploded with cheers from behind him. Wes clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Blaine," he said. "You'll never be on the streets. Not while the Warblers are around."

"Thanks," Blaine beamed at his friend. He turned back to his dad. "So if you have nothing else to say, I'll be leaving now. Goodbye, Father." He turned on his heel and walked away, the Warblers following behind him.

"Wait!"

* * *

><p>"Guess who," Burt said, tightening his grip on his trident.<p>

"Your _Majesty_," Sue regained herself. "What a very unexpected surprise. Don't worry, I'm taking good care of Kurt."

"I know exactly what you're doing," he shot back. "And it's not going to work. Unleash my son this instant."

"Love to, but can't," she smiled. "You see, Kurt and I have some…unfinished business. Kurt came to me in a time of need and made a little deal with me. Nothing major – I gave him legs and he signed a contract. 'What are the terms of this contract?' you might be asking. Oh, just his life." She danced around Burt gleefully. "There's nothing you can do here. It's all legal. So just take your toy fork and run along."

Burt glared at the sea witch. "I said release him."

"You think you can order me around like one of your subjects, but you can't. You have all these rules and you think you can save him. Well you're wrong."

With a quick movement, Burt aimed the trident at Kurt's bindings and fired. The stream of light glanced off of the wire, not harming it in the slightest, and rebounded. Burt ducked just in time to avoid it.

"Did you honestly think it'd be that easy?" Sue cackled. "Go ahead, give it another try. You have nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with all your strength. What kind of witch do you take me for?" She seemed entertained by his attack.

"One that's about to become extinct," Burt growled.

He pursued her and for the first time she looked properly worried. She looked frantically around the cavern, searching for something to aid her.

"Brittany! Santana! Seize him!"

There came no reply.

"Where are you two? I said seize him!" Her voice had risen to a shriek.

There was a long stretch of silence before anyone spoke.

"No," answered Santana from the corner. "Brit and I are tired of doing your dirty work. Watching you hurt Kurt was the last straw. He's our friend." She gave him a quick once over. "Well, sort of."

"Yeah," Brittany seconded. "I never liked this gig anyways. We're done."

The two swam across the space and left once and for all.

"Get back here!" yelled Sue. They kept on going. "I'll find you! I'll make you pay for your insubordination, you good for nothing traitors!"

But they were gone.

"No worries," Sue said, retreating to the far side of the cave. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. They don't call me the sea witch for nothing, you know."

"What will it take for you to release my son?" Burt asked tentatively.

"Well…" Sue tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'm open for negotiations. We could always do…a trade."

"No…" Kurt mumbled, fighting against the still-spreading poison. With great effort, he spoke again. "Don't do it, Dad. That's what she's wanted all along. Don't do it."

"I don't intend to," Burt assured him. "But I'm going to get you out of here whatever way I have to." He turned back to face Sue. "By force, if need be."

"Hit me," Sue invited. "Please, I insist. I want you to do it. Go on." She opened her arms wide. "Give it your best shot."

Burt sliced the trident through the air, sending a violent beam of light emerging from the tip. There was a loud crack as Sue's back hit the rock wall behind her, but she seemed to absorb the impact in her hands. They were open in front of her chest and the light went straight into her fingertips like she was taking it in.

With a quick flick of her wrists, she redirected it back to Burt and sent him flying across the cave.

As he smashed into the stone, she flexed her fingers with a pleased expression.

"I've been wanting to try that out," she confessed, rolling her wrists. She waved her hand and a round, glass phial appeared out of thin air. "While magic is fun and all, I must admit my forte was always in potion-making." She rubbed the glass affectionately. "This particular brew is, in a word, _explosive_."

She threw it with enough power to reach the opposite wall and to simultaneously shatter the glass completely as it came into contact with the jagged boulders.

Burt moved out of the way at the last possible moment, covering his head with his arms as he did so. The blast was strong enough to shake the entire cavern as if they were experiencing an earthquake. Chunks of stone fell from the ceiling and rocks from the wall where the phial had made contact shot out, causing an avalanche of impressive proportions. Debris rained down on Burt, the mixture of rubble and dust consuming him.

The loud crashing and rumbling of moving earth went on for several minutes before it ceased. There was a huge mountain of rocks sitting in the middle of the cavern, a hand visible from underneath it.

Kurt wanted to yell. He wanted to scream and shout. He wanted to break free and go to his father, but he couldn't do anything but look on, not making a sound. His cheeks were wet with tears again and he hung his head in despair.

Sue cackled in victory, thrusting her hands over her head.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," she laughed. "Looks like a new queen needs to be crowned."

She pumped her fists triumphantly, swaying back and forth. She didn't notice that the fingers of the hand were twitching.

There was a low thundering that built in volume as rock began being shifted aside. Kurt's head snapped up as he watched the pile of wreckage begin to move. Soon, another hand appeared, pushing a way out. Moments later, Burt was pulling himself out of the heap looking filthy and a bit bruised, but not seriously injured.

Sue's mouth dropped open as the king drew himself up to his full height.

"You were saying?" he prompted.

Seething unintelligibly, Sue clenched and unclenched her fists. She shrieked wordlessly before lunging forward, all weapons and witchcraft forgotten.

Burt took advantage of her blind rage and took aim for her. With an impossibly powerful blast from the tips of his trident, a bolt of lightning hit her square in the chest and surged into her. Kurt could hear the sizzling of her skin, the burning of her body, and the sound of her agonized screaming.

The electricity noticeably coursed across her entire torso and her limbs were taut with the intensity of it. Still the stroke of voltage swept across her body until small plumes of smoke started rising up from her overheated skin. When her screeching elevated to its peak, there was a loud explosion as her body disintegrated into hundreds of thousands of tiny pieces floating to the ocean floor.

Kurt cringed and shut his eyes, not wanting to see any more.

Burt was breathing heavily and stayed quiet for a while, taking in the scene. Where Sue stood before was now a void of nothingness. His chest was heaving as he lowered his weapon slowly and turned to face Kurt.

"It's okay now, son. She's gone." He surveyed Kurt's injuries for the first time, seeing just how badly he was wounded. He hastened to his son's side, gingerly cradling him. "Kurt, what did she do to you?" he whispered in horror.

Kurt didn't respond, but instead his eyes rolled back in his head as he slipped out of consciousness.

Burt looked around frantically for something to cut the tight bindings with. He spotted the abandoned knife on the ground nearby and reached out for it. With one swift movement, he had it positioned under the metal fastenings and sliced upward. It took one or two tries, but eventually the material did fall aside, revealing even more cuts and patches of missing skin beneath them. There were marks from where it had squeezed into Kurt's fragile body and numerous incisions left behind.

Burt shook Kurt's shoulders gently.

"Kurt…" he called. "Kurt! Stay with me, son. Wake up." He gave him a few more good shakes before Kurt came to.

He groaned, blinking up at his father.

"Kurt," the king smiled in relief before he became serious once more. "Son, I need to tell me what she did to you."

Kurt looked like he wanted nothing more to say something, but he was visibly struggling to form words.

"I…can't…" he muttered one last time before his eyes fluttered shut again.

His father shook him once more, but this time Kurt wouldn't be roused.

Burt looked up to see Mercedes and Rachel - who had emerged from wherever they'd been hiding – hovering worriedly over their friend.

"Go ahead of me. Call for help," he ordered. "Please…"

Without needing to be told twice, the pair shot out of the gaping hole in the wall and swam back towards the kingdom quickly.

Burt turned back to his son.

"Hold on, Kurt. Hold on…"

* * *

><p>When Kurt woke up, his neck was stiff and he felt tired…so incredibly tired. Why had he woken up? He just wanted to go back to sleep. He felt stabbing pain in his side and across his stomach. There wasn't anything to hurt him in his dreamless slumber the way there evidently was when he was conscious.<p>

The room around him was dark and nothing was in focus. All he saw was his father sleeping in a chair set up next to his bedside. His dad's hand was lying on the mattress as he slept on, unaware that Kurt was stirring.

Kurt smiled and felt comforted by the sight of his father. He shifted slightly, wincing from the tenderness in his ribs from even the tiniest of movements. He held his father's hand in his and squeezed before drifting off to sleep again.

* * *

><p>"Kurt?" a voice broke through his dream.<p>

Though it wasn't a dream, per say, it was just a white expanse of nothingness clouding Kurt's thoughts. Nothing special was happening yet it didn't feel quite normal. It just seemed like a different state of being.

"Kurt," the voice insisted again, cutting through his haziness.

His eyelids seemed heavier than they'd ever been before as he forced himself to squint up at the person invading his thoughts.

There was a swirl of blurred colors hovering over his head and he felt more comfortable than he had in ages. His bed was so warm and so soft that he was tempted to go back to sleep. He was just considering it when…

"Oh no you don't," Burt said with a laugh. "Wake up, son. Wake up."

Kurt felt himself being shaken awake again and blinked feeling disoriented. He blinked until the edges of the picture came into focus again and things started taking a more definite shape.

His bedroom. He was in his bedroom.

How long had it been since he'd been here? Only a matter of days, if his memory served him right. But still, it seemed like years since he'd been in this familiar room – a place he once called all his own.

His father's face was in his line of vision as he blinked upwards to the ceiling. Above them was the fabric from the canopy draped over his bed. Kurt stared at the purple hangings for a moment longer, still feeling exhausted.

"Son," Burt was snapping his fingers to gain Kurt's attention as if he'd been calling his name for a while. "I need to know if you can talk. Can you do that for me?"

Kurt groaned quietly and swallowed. His throat felt a little sore, but not like anything was seriously ailing it. He cleared it before speaking.

"Yes, I can talk now…" he said in a soft, hoarse voice. "It hurts a little, but I'm fine." He gave his dad a small smile. "What happened to me?"

Burt's face fell a bit. He looked pained as he began to explain.

"Well…they were afraid…there was some talk while you were unconscious…" Burt looked distressed as he tried to hash out the details. "Some people said you might not make it. That had me worried for a while, but now you're doing much better. You're a fighter, Kurt." He squeezed his son's shoulder gently.

"That's me," Kurt agreed.

"Sue…she injected you with her poison and it caused you full-body paralysis and loss of sensation, as you know. Some of the physicians weren't sure if you'd regain full mobility ever again, but I've seen the way you thrash in your sleep lately. I think it's safe to say you'll make a full recovery. It took a long time for the venom to completely drain from your system though…"

"A long time?" Kurt asked in a panicked voice. "How long have I been out of it?"

Burt looked hesitant. "For over two weeks, son."

"Over two weeks?" Kurt exclaimed. He tried to pull back his covers, but Burt restrained him. "Let me go! I have to get up! I have to…"

"You're not going anywhere, Kurt." Burt pushed his son back onto the mattress. "You have some serious injuries and you need a lot more bed rest."

"I feel fit as a fiddle," Kurt insisted, trying to get up again. As soon as he did, a severe pain shot up his side and he let out a shout.

"I told you. Now lay back down," Burt ordered.

Kurt did as he was told.

"Serious injuries?" Kurt echoed his father as he flinched from more burning sensations. For the first time, he saw that most of his torso was covered in white bandaging.

"Yeah," Burt sighed. "You took quite the beating, kiddo. A few broken ribs, a hell of a lot of cuts, and a serious wound in your side. They said you'd be healed up in no time, with a little help from my trident, but I'm trying to let your bones reset naturally before I speed up the process a bit." He gave his son a quick wink. "As for the cut in your side…all of the physicians are in agreement that it might not fully heal. You might be stuck with a scar there for…well, for the rest of your life, really."

"Great," Kurt muttered, leaning his head back on the pillows in frustration. "I'm just a mess, aren't I?"

"No you're not," Burt chuckled as he rubbed his son's arm. "You'll be fine now."

The two sat in silence as the topic they'd both been avoiding came looming over them.

"Dad," Kurt began. "I am…_so_ sorry. For going to Sue, for running away, for causing this whole mess…for everything." He began to cry, effectively taking away his ability to speak. "I'm…s-so….so s-sorry…" he sobbed.

"Shhh," Burt comforted him, tears of his own escaping the corners of his eyes. "It's okay, Kurt. All is forgiven. We don't have to talk about this right now. You need more rest and now isn't the time."

"But…"

"I promise when you wake up, we'll talk. We've done more than enough talking for now and you need to sleep. I can see it in your eyes. You don't have to ask for forgiveness, Kurt, it's already been given to you. Now sleep."

Kurt sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, kid." He slid his hand into Kurt's. "Sleep well."

* * *

><p><em>AN: So there you have it. We are coming to an end with this fic *tears up*. I don't want it to end, but we all know it has to! If things go according to my plan (which, I assure you, they will) there will be** two more chapters** in this tale. So I look forward to that._

_Your endless love and support to me via reviews, Tumblr, and messaging humbles me beyond belief. I love you all more than any words can truly express._


	22. Where We Stand

_A/N: Up front I have to apologize for my inability to update quickly. I should have mentioned in my last chapter that my fall semester would be starting up again a few days after my last update. So I've been in school since then and it's been rough, to say the least, to find time to write like I used to during the summer. _

_**I ask for your patience between now and the last chapter**, because I have a lot going on at the moment and I'm finding myself overwhelmed from time to time. All the same, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm always grateful for your love and support. _

_Happy reading :D_

* * *

><p>"I <em>know<em>," Burt repeated for what was conceivably the hundredth time all morning.

"Just let me get this out," Kurt protested from where he was propped up on his pillows. "I was stupid, Dad. I should've come to you and talked to you instead of running away. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life. I'm lucky and I _know_ that." He let his hands fall to the sheets, feeling ashamed of himself. "I mean, I just signed my life over without a second thought and it was irresponsible. I could've screwed up everything and for what?"

Even though it'd been almost a month since the wedding debacle, the memory of Blaine was still painfully clear in Kurt's mind. It came to him the most in quiet moments – in that silence and blank slate of his mind the second before he fell asleep, in the middle of a good dream, when he wasn't focused on anything in particular. And Kurt tried his best to keep busy, to keep his mind centered on anything and everything that was _not_ Blaine.

But it was no use. He could still remember the little things: the sound of Blaine's laugh, the way his eyes shone when he smiled, the firm grip of his hand and the way his hair curled against the nape of his neck. He couldn't forget the way Blaine smelled – like the salt air coming fresh off the waves mixed with a unique scent that couldn't be replicated – nor his loopy scrawl on every note that he'd ever passed to Kurt or the smooth, dulcet sound of his voice.

But above all, Kurt couldn't forget Blaine's lips. Everything about them: the way the edges quirked up when he was fighting against laughter, the way they formed each syllable with care and deliberation, or how he bit them when he was nervous. But most especially, he couldn't forget how they _felt_. How unexpectedly soft they were and how, without saying a word, they seemed to convey a million emotions against Kurt's in that one moment when everything was perfect.

_Blaine_ was perfect.

Now Kurt doubted that Blaine would even remember him. He felt forgettable; replaceable. He was certain that since his abrupt disappearance, Blaine had upped and married the princess anyways. He knew how much Blaine valued his father's acceptance and that a huge fight was the last thing he would want. Maybe that was why Kurt made no _real_ effort to push the thoughts of Blaine away: because he didn't want to forget, but more importantly he didn't want to be forgotten.

Those were the thoughts that kept him up at night. The ones where Blaine didn't even remember his name or had no recollection of their time together at all. The dreams where Kurt sat idly by and watched Blaine fall in love with someone else; someone who would never understand Blaine half as well as he did. Those times when Kurt would think of reality and all its bleak possibilities and let the sadness have him.

"You really loved him didn't you?" Burt asked, reading his thoughts.

Kurt swallowed hard and avoided his dad's eyes, choosing to say nothing. Even if he'd wanted to confirm it, his throat was tight and he could feel the tears already stinging at the edges of his eyes. He'd cried so many times over Blaine that he was starting to feel sick of it and empty. He almost believed that he didn't have a single tear left to cry and that his tear ducts had run dry, but he was always wrong. He didn't want this to be one of those times, so he gritted his teeth and stayed quiet.

Burt nodded solemnly. "You know, son, I would've eventually come around to the idea that you didn't like mermaids. If you'd just given me a little time, I would never have…I would never be ashamed of you, Kurt. I would've accepted you."

Kurt gave him a weak smile. "I know that now," he said softly. "But you would've never accepted Blaine, would you?" He waited anxiously for an answer.

"Well…" His dad hesitated. "Maybe not. But not because I don't think he's a good guy, I just don't see how it would work." He patted Kurt's hand sympathetically. "I know it's hard to hear, Kurt, but maybe you're better off."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," Kurt mumbled, twisting his fingers together. In his heart, he knew he would never be better off without Blaine because _Blaine_ was what made _him_ better. The two were mutually inclusive.

"Look, I know that it's rough," Burt continued, "But someone else will come along eventually."

Those weren't exactly the words Kurt wanted to hear, but he nodded anyways.

"Let's just do our best to put this behind us," his father consoled him. "I'll send in your friends." He gave Kurt's hand one last squeeze before turning to leave. Just before he reached the door, Kurt called out to him.

"Dad…" He lifted his head up and looked his father in the eyes. "I really am sorry," he said.

"Yeah, so am I," Burt smiled sadly before exiting.

Kurt didn't have time to dwell on it before he was being greeted by Mercedes and Rachel. Following behind them reluctantly were Brittany and Santana, looking downcast and nervous. Mercedes launched herself into his arms, squeezing him tightly and capturing his full attention.

"Ow, ow, ow," he hissed, referring to his still-bandaged side. "I'm happy to see you, Mercedes, I really am, but you're hurting me."

"I'm sorry," she said, not releasing him at all. "But I'm just glad you're back and you're getting better!" She held him even tighter. "I missed you. Never ever do anything like that ever again, promise?"

"I promise," he hastily assured her, flinching from her grip. "Mercedes I swear, I'm not going anywhere, just let me go."

She released him at last, giving him and overjoyed smile. "I'm glad you're going to be okay. You had us scared there for a while."

"Yeah," Rachel seconded. "She's not as much fun to deal with when she's freaking out, but now that you're better I can handle her," she teased.

"Well you're not as obnoxious and loud-mouthed as I thought you'd be," Mercedes retorted jokingly. "It was nice to have someone to worry with." The two linked fin and claw happily.

"And here I thought you two couldn't stand each other," Kurt said with an amused expression. "I was sure one of you would kill the other while I was gone."

"One more day and I might have," Mercedes rolled her eyes. "But since I was stuck with her all week long, I'd say we make a good team." Suddenly she seemed to remember the reason why she was stuck with Rachel for five days in the first place and slugged Kurt in the shoulder. Hard.

"Hey!" He shielded his arm. "What was that for?"

"For pulling the craziest stunt I've ever heard of," she told him. "Do you have any idea how many things could have gone wrong? You're luck you're alive." She glared at him, settling her fins on her hips.

"I know," Kurt groaned. He'd already had this lecture from his dad. "Look, if you're trying to guilt-trip me, don't bother. I already feel terrible." He rubbed his forehead wearily.

She backed off slightly. "You're back and that's all that matters," she said, sounding like she was telling it to herself rather than to him.

"And what are you two doing here?" he addressed the two lurking behind Rachel and Mercedes. "I did expect to see you guys within a hundred miles of the castle."

"We might have…begged for mercy," Santana admitted. "After everything that happened with Sue," she exchanged a sheepish glance with Brittany, "We felt so horrible about everything that happened. It's all our faults. Well, I can't speak for Brittany, but I can say that it was all _my_ fault, at least."

"Santana, no…" Kurt began, but Santana shot him a look that stopped him from saying anything else.

"Don't try to deny it, Hummel," she shook her head. "We knew the plan all along and we didn't warn you about anything. Instead, we passed along information about you from Glee Club straight to Sue…And we should never have done that." She took a deep breath. "_I_ should never have done that," she sad softly. "We led you straight to her and then when you came back, we didn't do anything to stop her."

Brittany spoke up, "We both feel so bad about it. It was the worst thing I've ever done," she confessed. "You never did anything to deserve that, Kurt, and I just wish I could've helped you instead of hurt you."

"Listen, don't blame yourselves," Kurt told them. "It was my fault. It was my mistake to make and I would've tried to find a way with or without your help. I can be as stubborn as you two can be convincing and, either way, I probably would have ended up in the same situation even if you weren't involved." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"We just wanted to say sorry," Santana said with a small smile. "I mean, if we're stuck in Glee Club together, it's probably best if we cleared the air. So what do you say? See you in Glee?"

"Yeah," he said. "Definitely. I mean, I won't be there for a while," he gestured to his bandages. "But when I come back we'll see plenty of each other."

The pair looked relieved and considerably more happy than when they'd entered the room.

"See you," Santana said before turning to leave.

"Feel better, Kurt," Brittany offered before following her friend out the door.

Kurt turned his attention back to his friends. "Look, I know you both would love nothing more than to rip into me and tell me how stupid I am right now, but I really need to rest." He gave a mock sigh of disappointment. "Oh well."

"You're lucky I don't give you a piece of my mind right now," Mercedes warned him.

"And I've been practicing my speech that I was going to give you for days now," Rachel said in exasperation. When the other two looked at her in confusion, she explained, "What? You can't just start talking and expect everything to come out right. Planning, my friends. These things take _planning_."

"I'm sure it was a well-rehearsed speech," Kurt told her. "But it's going to have to wait 'til tomorrow, Rachel." He turned to Mercedes who was looking a bit anxious. "Don't worry," he said as he held her fin. "We have all the time in the world to argue about how much of a screw-up I am. I promise."

"Okay," she said resolutely. Before he could react, she had launched herself into another hug, Rachel following her lead. The three held the embrace for a moment before letting go.

"We'll get out of you way now," Rachel said, guiding Mercedes towards the door as Kurt slumped down on to his pillows.

He didn't even hear them leave the room before he was asleep.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up early. So early, in fact, that he was sure no other creature, human or otherwise, would be awake at all. That left him plenty of time for the trip.<p>

He gingerly sat up and removed his sheets as quietly as he could manage even though he was alone in his room. With great care, he swam to the door, deciding to risk it. He cringed as the door creaked slightly, breaking the morning silence. He stiffened, waiting for someone to appear and tell him to go back to bed, but no one did.

Opening the door all the way, he slipped out quickly, careful to close it equally as slowly. He looked both ways down the hallway before proceeding to dart towards his goal: the front doors. He looked around every corner to make sure no one was roaming the hallways, looking over his shoulder anxiously every few seconds. Finally, the doors were in sight; so close that if he just reached out a hand, he could touch the handle. He gripped the smooth doorknob, unhurried as he turned it…

"Where do you think you're going?" came an amused voice from behind him.

Kurt flinched, cringing and cursing himself for thinking he could make a quick escape without anyone noticing. He spun around quickly, his heart pounding in his chest, preparing for the worst. Standing before him was his father, not looking angry exactly, but expectant. Kurt didn't even bother making an excuse; he'd been caught.

"I'm going out." When his dad arched an eyebrow, Kurt got defensive. "I've been cooped up in my room for _weeks_, Dad. It's _killing_ me." He gave an exaggerated groan. "Please, let me go outside, Dad, _please_." He clasped his hands together for good measure and tried to look as pitiful as possible. "Just for a few hours."

"I don't know," Burt replied warily. "Maybe it's too soon…"

"Dad, you can't keep me here until the end of time. I have to start going out and about _sometime_, so why not now?" he reasoned. "Really, I feel fine and I'd feel _so_ much better if I could just take a break from lying in bed all day."

"I gotta be honest with you, kid," Burt started, "I'm a little worried about you going out again so soon. Last time, you didn't come back."

Kurt looked down guiltily. He should've seen this coming.

"Dad, I've already apologized a million times. To _everybody_," he shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what else you all want from me. I'm not leaving you again, I promise."

Burt nodded to himself. "You're right. I'm going to have to trust you with this one. I guess it wouldn't be _too_ awful for you to get some fresh air. Just be careful out there, okay?"

"I'll try not to snag my fin on a rock," Kurt joked. "So, let me get this straight: You're giving me permission right now to go out into the big, bad world, right?"

"I am," Burt confirmed, crossing his arms.

"So here I go then," Kurt said, inching towards the door and placing his hand on the doorknob again. "I'm really leaving this time."

"Oh, wait," Burt said quickly.

Kurt sighed and his shoulder slumped. "I knew it was too good to be true."

"No, it's not that. I just wanted to give you this before I forget." He offered his open palm to Kurt, revealing something he'd been twisting in his fingers through their whole conversation.

"Mom's necklace," Kurt gasped. He took the shell in his hands and ran his fingers along the smooth curves. He fastened it around his neck and beamed, touching where it rested on his chest just above his heart; right where it belonged.

"I thought you'd be missing it," Burt told him.

"H-How did you…?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I was so sure I was never going to see this again." He touched the pendant again, not quite believing it had been returned to him.

"I found it," his father said with a shrug. "On one of the many search parties I sent out. I kept it because I hoped…Well I hoped I'd get the opportunity to see you wear it again."

"Oh, Dad," Kurt sniffled before hugging his father. They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other to simply let the other one know they were _there_. When they broke the embrace, Kurt wiped away a tear and laughed. "Have I told you how sorry I am?" he asked, only half-joking.

"Many, many times," his dad responded fondly. "And have I told you that I love you?"

Kurt chuckled. "Only a couple million times since I've been back," he confirmed. "But I don't mind."

"Just checking," Burt said. "Because I plan on telling you a lot so that you don't forget."

Kurt rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation. "But seriously, Dad…" His hand still lingered on the shell pendant, pressing it into his skin. "Thank you for this. You have no idea how much it means to me."

"Go on," Burt said. "Get out of here. But don't stay out too long."

"I won't," Kurt promised before finally exiting.

As soon as he was clear of any prying eyes, he swam as fast as he could in the opposite direction of civilization. He swam as fast as his fins could carry him, determined to make it to his destination as quickly as possible.

"Kurt!" a voice called after him. But he kept swimming anyways.

"Hey, wait up!" it called, even closer this time.

Kurt didn't stop until a very flushed and displeased looking Mercedes was blocking his path.

"I'm not in the mood for lectures right now, Mercedes," he said, crossing his arms.

"Does your dad know where you are?" she asked him haughtily.

"Yes, in fact, he does," Kurt told her. "I asked him if I could go out _before_ leaving this time." He waited for her retort with raised eyebrows.

"Well did you tell him where you're going? Because I'm pretty sure he didn't okay any land-bound excursions."

"Okay," Kurt fessed up, "So I didn't exactly tell him that I was taking a little…_field trip_." He chose his words carefully. "But I plan to be home before he notices the difference, so where's the harm?"

She grabbed him by the shoulders. "Kurt, listen to me: You can't go to him. It's over between you. It has to end."

"You think I don't know that?" he asked quietly. "Look, a lot of things were left unsaid. I can't just leave them that way."

"You can and you have to," Mercedes told him. "This is not good, Kurt."

"You _don't_ understand," Kurt burst out. In a much softer voice, he continued, "I know you're afraid that I've replaced you with Blaine. And don't deny it," he warned when she opened her mouth to do just that. "But I could never replace you. Plus I could never leave you again, Mercedes." He looked her in the eyes. "This is just something I have to do. Can't you try to understand that?"

Her expression softened only by a fraction. "I still don't think this is a good idea," she said matter-of-factly.

"I'll be back," he told her before backing away and continuing on his way, leaving her behind to watch him as he went.

* * *

><p>Blaine paced up and down the beach. It was early, but he hadn't been able to sleep. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't been able to sleep for the past few weeks. To the disdain of everyone he knew, he'd been spending almost every free hour he had on the beach, keeping a constant vigil nearby the spot he'd seen Kurt disappear last.<p>

He would never admit it out loud, but he was waiting for Kurt to return – not that he would have any clue what to say or where to begin. All he knew was that he had to come back – didn't he? He lived in terror that every time he was forced to be away from the beach, he would miss his opportunity. But so far he'd had no luck, only fruitless hours wasted in silence as he sat by the ever-changing tide.

The tide was particularly low that morning, so he walked across the firm portion of the sand, watching his footprints appear and disappear in seconds. He muttered to himself as he did so.

"Stupid," he repeated. "This is stupid. I shouldn't be here; there are more important things for me to be doing besides waiting for someone who's never going to show up. It's been almost a month and he still hasn't come back. So why am I still here?" He couldn't think of a logical way to answer himself. "Why bother? I should just leave right now." He turned his back on the low waves, beginning his trek away from the spot, when a splash of water stopped him.

"Am I interrupting something?" a coy voice asked him.

Blaine froze. He knew that voice. It had been haunting him in his dreams, flitting through his mind even when he was awake. It was a voice that he'd know anywhere. Even if years had passed, people had changed, or lives altered; if it was so far into the future that the beach might have washed away, the oceans had run dry and the light of the sun had been muted, he would still know that voice even then.

"Kurt," Blaine said without turning around. His name felt so good to say out loud, like a secret he'd been waiting to tell and wanted to shout from rooftops. Blaine turned around quickly, hoping he wasn't hallucinating. "Is it really you?"

Kurt was waist-deep in the water; close enough to see, but not to reach. Beads of water were caught in the strands of his brown hair, glistening in the early morning sunlight. His torso was streaked with water, half hidden by a rock he was holding onto. Even so, he still managed to take Blaine's breath away. He couldn't help but openly stare for a minute.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Kurt asked, looking slightly worried.

"No," Blaine hastened to assure him. "I just never actually expected you to come back."

"Did I make a mistake?" Kurt bit his lip nervously. "Should I have stayed away?"

"I don't know," Blaine answered honestly. "But for what it's worth, I'm so glad to see you."

"I came here because I felt guilty," Kurt confessed. "I know I left after just…springing this on you." He gestured to his spot in the water, still not revealing himself. "I owe you a lot of explanations, and I know that."

"I don't even know where to start," Blaine admitted. "I still can't believe you're a…well, a…"

"A merman," Kurt finished for him. "You can say it."

"It's just…crazy, right?" Blaine mused as he took a step forward.

"No, it isn't," Kurt shook his head. "It's my reality."

Blaine looked on as Kurt swam closer to the shore and sat on the sand, right in the surf, letting the water wash over his tailfin and flicking the end lazily, causing the water to ripple. He looked, not embarrassed, but a little timid, not meeting Blaine's eyes. All Blaine could do was let his eyes take in the sight of Kurt: half man, half mystical creature, wholly beautiful.

Blaine sat down next to Kurt, still stunned into silence. The water was running over his pants, but he didn't mind if it meant being this close to Kurt again. The two smiled at one each other, recalling the feeling of easiness they had around one another.

Reaching towards Kurt, Blaine raised an inquiring eyebrow. "May I?" he asked, not needing to clarify what he was curious about.

"Sure," Kurt shrugged, leaning back on his hands.

Blaine extended his hand further and ran his fingers along the top of Kurt's fin, letting himself feel each individual scale. He marveled at how smooth and soft it felt, not at all what he had imagined; it was almost silk-like beneath his touch. He looked back towards Kurt to see if he was being intrusive, but Kurt had his eyes closed and was humming in appreciation.

"That feels nice," Kurt said with a light laugh. "I don't think anyone's ever done that before."

"Well it's more interesting than having legs anyway," Blaine offered, fidgeting his foot. When he looked at Kurt again, he noticed the long bandage against his pale skin for the first time. He frowned in concern. "Kurt, you're injured. What happened?" His eyes flew to meet Kurt's, desperate for an answer.

"It's nothing," Kurt tried to hide the bandage by crossing his arms, failing miserably. "Well, it's a long story."

"I've got time," Blaine said as he drew his knees to his chest.

"Well I'd have to start from the beginning," Kurt babbled. "And there's a lot to say. I mean, I guess I could try…"

Blaine sat and patiently listened as Kurt recounted the night of Blaine's birthday and the first time he'd laid eyes on Blaine. He sat attentively as Kurt went into detail about his collection of human artifacts and the problems he went through with his dad. He went wide-eyed with disbelief as Kurt went on to describe his desperation to escape and all about who he turned to without a second thought.

"And that's where you came in…" Kurt shrugged. "Blaine, that week I spent with you…" He took in a deep breath before going on. "It was the best week of my life," he admitted. "It was worth it. _You_ were worth it."

Blaine was already shaking his head, hardly believing his ears. "How could you do that, Kurt? How could you just leave behind everything just to try to get to know me? I'm just one person; I'm not someone you should throw your whole life away over."

"I don't know," Kurt mumbled. "I didn't know you when I first saw you. You could've been a selfish, arrogant jerk who would never give me a second look for all I knew. But somehow, I already knew you weren't that kind of person, Blaine. I knew you would be somebody important me. I couldn't just go back to my life after I saved you. Believe me, I know – I tried. But I knew I had to take a chance. And I'm glad I did."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed. "I'm glad you did, too." He looked down at his knees, feeling himself turn red as he went on. "You were the best thing that ever happened to me, Kurt. After you left, I realized what I needed to do. I stood up to my dad." He laughed to himself.

"You did?" Kurt gasped, taking Blaine's hand in his for the first time.

How easily their palms fit together and how nice of a contrast Kurt's cool fingers felt pressed against Blaine's. He'd almost forgotten – but how could he when it was a perfect match? When it was the perfect proportion of one another joined at a singular point, how could it ever escape his memory?

"Yeah," he answered when he regained the ability to speak. "It actually wasn't as horrible as I thought it'd be. Well, it hasn't been _easy_, but I think he's starting to come to terms with it."

"Really?" Kurt asked, the excitement evident in his voice. "Blaine, that's wonderful. I knew you had it in you."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Blaine said, squeezing Kurt's hand gently.

"I was already gone when you did it," Kurt protested. "You didn't need me at all. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Blaine grinned. "I might have also had some help from the Warblers," he joked.

"Don't you always?" Kurt teased.

"Good point." Blaine turned his attention back to the bandage on Kurt's side, running his fingers along the edges of it. "So what happened?"

Kurt turned solemn again at the question. "Things went bad…" he said simply. "After your wedding," Kurt turned an interesting shade of pink. "Well, after what happened, when I went back, Sue caught up to me." He started unwrapping the bandages carefully. "She did this to me."

Blaine watched as more and more of an angry, jagged scar was revealed, the lines etched in a light red progression from Kurt's waist up. He heard himself take in a sharp breath when the whole of it was unveiled at last. He couldn't help but run his fingers along it, wishing he had the power to heal it himself.

"Kurt…" he breathed, still not tearing his eyes away from the mark. "I can't even imagine…What did she do to you? Tell me," he urged.

So Kurt spilled the story - gory details and all - about what happened in the cave.

"If my dad hadn't shown up when he did, I don't know if I'd even be here," Kurt said softly, a tear rolling down his cheek which he promptly brushed away.

Blaine didn't say anything, only rubbed Kurt's shoulder in consolation and waiting for him to go on.

"I've spent this whole month recovering." Kurt said the last word with an edge of malice. "It's been _torture_, Blaine. You have no idea," he groaned.

"I think I might understand a little better than you think," Blaine said as Kurt leaned onto his shoulder. "I've been pretty much useless around here."

"Why is that?" Kurt murmured.

"Well, I've had to lie low as the press covered my wedding fiasco within an inch of its life. Iliana didn't take it very well, if you were wondering." He heard Kurt scoff. "The upside is that my dad hasn't tried to force me into anymore unwanted matrimony since. But I haven't been up to much since I forfeited my right to rule."

"_What_?" Kurt's head shot up and he turned to face Blaine. "You mean you're not the prince anymore? Did your dad disown you?"

"No, I am," Blaine explained. "After the wedding, the cabinet members voted towards making our kingdom a democracy." He saw comprehension dawn on Kurt's face. "Needless to say, after that complete disaster on my part, I didn't exactly help sway the vote, so to speak. It was unanimous."

"Blaine, I'm so sorry," Kurt replied.

"Ah, don't be," Blaine shrugged it off. "Politics were never for me. Things move way too fast. The campaigns began a few weeks ago and the elections are already coming up. People want to know who'll be in charge for the next three years."

"Wow, you guys don't waste any time do you?" Kurt asked, obviously impressed.

"No, we don't. Anyways, I wouldn't dare run against the top candidate anyways. I'd say he pretty much has the election in the bag."

"Oh, is it someone worthy?" Kurt wondered.

"I'd say so. He has my vote for sure."

"Well…" Kurt said expectantly. "Who is it?"

Blaine chuckled at his eager expression. "It's Wes, Kurt."

"Really?" Kurt nodded slowly, taking in the news. "Well then all those years of keeping the Warblers in line payed off, I take it."

"Yeah, it seems that way. He's the youngest candidate, but with the platform the Warblers are spreading, he's the favorite."

"I'm sorry you're not running though," Kurt said regretfully. "I'm sure you would have been a great ruler."

"Thanks," Blaine ducked his head when he felt himself blushing. "But like I said, it was never for me. Not really."

The two sat in a comfortable silence – the kind that didn't need to be filled – fingers interlaced and Kurt's head resting on Blaine's shoulder again. The waves lapped gently around them as they watched the morning sun lingering on the horizon.

"So…" Blaine prompted after a few minutes. "Where does that leave us?"

He felt Kurt grow tense beside him. "I wasn't aware there was an 'us' at all," he heard Kurt whisper.

"Well, I just thought…" Blaine stumbled in his words. "I mean, after what happened at the ball and the wedding…"

"You mean me telling you I loved you?" Kurt asked.

Blaine's heart rate sped up slightly. "Did you mean it?"

"I'm here right now, Blaine," was all Kurt said. "What do you think?"

"We're stuck," Blaine sighed. "What a pair we make, huh?"

"Look," Kurt began, pulling away from Blaine, "Maybe I should go now. You should forget about me, Blaine. You should pretend I was never here."

"I can't do that. You know I can't do that."

"We both know it won't work," Kurt said, looking as if he were blinking back tears. "You belong here and I have my own home to go back to."

"That doesn't mean I don't want to be with you," Blaine replied.

"Don't you see?" Kurt cried. "It's not about what we want - it's about what we _are_. It's about what _I_ am."

"Don't say that…" Blaine tried, but Kurt ripped his hand away and scooted further away.

"I should go," Kurt said abruptly, starting to move further in the water.

"Kurt, wait," Blaine reached out and grabbed him by the arm, trying to will him to stay. "Don't go. Please."

"I don't have a choice…"

Blaine forced Kurt to face him and without a moment's hesitation, he covered Kurt's mouth with his own. He felt Kurt's determination melt the second their lips met and heard him sigh contentedly. Blaine moved a hand to cup Kurt's cheek, letting his fingers roam across the soft skin gently as he pressed himself closer.

His shirt was pressed flush against Kurt's bare chest as he felt Kurt's fingers tangle in his hair and his head tilt to the side. Blaine kissed him deeply, heat splintering throughout his body and his heart breaking out into a sprint. He kissed Kurt slowly, savoring each feeling and each sensation, carefully storing each one in his memory, never wanting to let go of the perfect being he held in his arms. Because as sweet and as wonderful as it was to breath him in and be consumed by him, Blaine also knew this would be the last time he'd be able to.

So they stayed like that for a while, saying nothing and moving only to get closer to one another; basking in each other's warmth and touch. Kurt gripped Blaine's shirt tightly in contrast to how lightly Blaine held him, almost as if he were afraid Blaine was the one who would disappear at any given moment. Every time Blaine thought Kurt was going to pull away, he would compensate for the loss of distance, wanting nothing more than to stay just a little while longer.

Eventually they did break apart, Kurt resting his forehead against Blaine's as their breathing evened out. Blaine wiped away the tears that stained Kurt's face before placing one last impossibly soft kiss on his lips with a note of finality in his actions.

He was still cupping Kurt's face in his hands and he felt Kurt's hands cover both of his for a moment before removing them.

"Goodbye, Blaine," Kurt said softly, his blue eyes piercing Blaine's. Then he left.

_And I can't find my breath, can we just say the rest with no sound?__  
><em>_And none of this is enough__  
><em>_I still don't measure up__  
><em>_And I'm not prepared, sorry is never there when you need it…_

_And I do want you to know _

_I think you'd be good to me _

_And I'd be so good to you_

_I would…_


	23. Part of Your World

_A/N: This is it! Get ready for a long information-filled and sap-tastic author's note. Bear with me, I'm having a moment._

_Firstly, **I'd like to make it clear that I've had this ending envisioned from the very beginning**; from day one on that bus to school with my sociology notebook open on my lap, I always knew this was how it would go. It was a little more difficult to put it into words than I thought, but I just hope I could do it justice._

_I'd love to thank the wonderful **Muchacha11**, who I could never thank enough even if I tried. Her drawings inspired my words from the very start and another drawing of hers brought a lot of readers - readers that I didn't deserve - to me. She's a lovely, beautiful person and I wouldn't be here without her and neither would most of you. She is amazing in every way - the world could use more people like her!_

_And thanks to you. Yes, you, sitting behind the computer screen or reading on a mobile device. Thank YOU for reading this crazy story of mine. Whether you've been here since chapter one first uploaded in May or you just found me this week, it doesn't to matter to me because you are all kind and supportive. It's been a lovely hiatus we've spent together and a true joy._

_So this one's for you. This one is for all the people who pulled all-nighters reading this story (are you insane?), who recommended it to others, who read it on a tiny phone screen, who googled it to see if it'd updated. This is for the people who reviewed and encouraged me to continue, for the people who sent me messages on Tumblr with nothing but kind words, and even for the people who decided to stay silent through it all and remained commited to it. Thank you. Enjoy._

* * *

><p>It was a long time before Kurt returned back to the castle. He knew he'd be in serious trouble for not keeping his word, but he was in no state to talk to anyone at the moment. He stayed on the outskirts of the kingdom, preferring his isolation. He didn't cry; he <em>couldn't<em> cry. There was nothing left in him to do so. This felt final – there was only acceptance of the matter to deal with.

He came back home just before nightfall, shoulder slumped and eyelids heavy. He was exhausted and it showed. His skin looked sickly, he had dark lines under his eyes and he wore a perfectly blank expression – wiped of every emotion except perhaps desolation. He looked as if he'd lived a thousand lives, each more unpleasant than the last until there was nothing left in him at all but a barren wasteland.

He decided to slip through the window of his bedroom, hoping to remain unseen. But, of course, that plan didn't work out too well. It's ironic that whenever someone craves solitude and peace of mind other people are more drawn to them; always the nuisance. This was no exception to that rule. He swam right into a trap.

"Where have you been?" asked his dad from where he sat on Kurt's bed. "No, don't bother answering that, Kurt. I _know_ where you've been."

"You do?" Kurt asked softly.

"Of course I do, what kind of father do you take me for anyways? Did you think I was going to just sit here until you came home?"

"No," Kurt answered. "I guess I never really expected you to do that."

They were left in an uncomfortable moment's silence, both fidgeting and looking pointedly towards the ground.

"So is that it?" Kurt prompted, hoping for a reprieve.

"No." Burt drew out the word as if it were obvious. "Don't you think we should at least talk about this?"

"There's nothing that I have to say," Kurt said, pursing his lips together. "I don't want to talk about it, Dad."

"Kurt…I know that this is tough on you…"

"I _said_ I don't want to talk about it," Kurt said sharply, folding his arms. "Look, we've talked a lot since I've been home and I'm done, Dad. I'm done talking. I've told you everything and I've been completely honest with you. And I'm telling you that I _can't_ talk about this with you. It's _over_. Why can't you let it be over?"

Burt hung his head and shook it piteously. "No, the real question is why can't _you_ let it be over?"

"I'm trying…" Kurt whispered. "I really, _really_ am. I don't know what else I can do."

"Kurt," his father began solemnly, "If there's ever anything that you…that you want., you know you can just ask me, right?"

"What?" Kurt asked, taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know," Burt shrugged. "Maybe you would be better off up there."

"Up there?" The pieces were slowly clicking into place. "You don't mean that, Dad…"

"I do," Burt protested. "Maybe it would be good for you."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Kurt shouted angrily. "You don't know what's up there, Dad – you just _think_ you do. The human world…" He placed both hands on either side of his head, not knowing quite how to phrase it. "It's full of problems. Problems that we can't even _begin_ to understand. Look, I was lucky enough to find some good people when I was up there – people I'll never forget for as long as I live. But those few don't negate the many who are full of hatred and do horrendous things to their own kind."

"But…"

"Just listen to me for once!" Kurt yelled. "Those people know nothing of peace or compassion. Everything's either a competition or a disappointment. I mean, I saw just a bit of it in Blaine's father, but I know there are more people out there that are like him than are like Blaine: kind, considerate, and wonderful. I don't want to go back there."

"What about Blaine?" his dad asked.

"I love him," Kurt answered simply. "But I can't live for him. If I'm being honest with myself, I'd be going back only for him and I can't subject myself to that. I can't just give up everything for him, no matter how much I want to. Not again." He looked up towards his father. "I have more important things for me here. I have the chance to influence change and really make a difference. And there are people who need me here…"

"I just want you to be happy, son."

"I don't want to change who I _am_," Kurt said. "This," he gestured down to his fin, "This is who I am and I'm proud of it. I don't want to be something that I'm not – and, Dad, I'm _not_ a human."

"I understand," Burt nodded in acknowledgement. "But I don't think that you'll ever get over him, son. With everything that happened between you…You can't just forget about that."

"I know," Kurt said miserably. "I want to be with him, but I can't. I'm not changing again. We had our chance, we had our time and it didn't work out. Simple as that." He bit his lip to stop it from trembling.

"Are you sure?" Burt asked again. "I'm giving you a choice here, kid."

"And I'm respectfully declining," Kurt said resolutely. "I've made my decision. I'm staying here."

"I guess I just thought if you loved him, you'd do anything to be with him," Burt muttered, looking just about ready to leave the room.

"I don't get it," Kurt burst out. "Are you trying to get me to leave? You don't want me here, Dad?"

"Of course I want you here," Burt said. "If it were up to me, you'd never leave again. But I just don't want you to have any regrets."

"I'm staying," Kurt repeated. "Nothing and no one can change my mind."

* * *

><p>"Blaine, what are you doing out here?" someone called from behind him.<p>

He didn't even have to turn around to know that it was Jeff. Instead, he crossed his arms and continued staring out into the rippling waves. The sun was setting over the water and it was that perfect moment in time where the rich orange half-circle was perfectly reflected in the water to create one perfect orb.

It was only an illusion though. The bottom half in the water was constantly in motion, cut off with choppy waves and wrinkled from the ocean breeze. It never stood still and it seemed as if the earth and all its movements wouldn't just simply let it be. Before it ever had a chance to be complete, the sun was already sinking lower and lower – the orb lopsided and the moment passed.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jeff said, finally reaching Blaine. He patted Blaine on the shoulder, effectively bringing him out of his solitary trance.

"I'm fine," Blaine said reflexively, quick to defend himself. "Why?"

"No reason," Jeff said conversationally, shoving both hands into his pockets. "I mean, you're still out here…" The unfinished sentence was left hanging open in the air.

"I just…like being out here," Blaine said. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No, no," Jeff replied. "I just thought you said you'd ended things with…" He coughed awkwardly, choosing not to say the name. "So we figured you might, er, be spending a little more time indoors."

Blaine sighed, irritated. "Why do I bother telling you all my business again?" he asked.

"Because you trust us and you know we all care about you," Jeff responded, completely unfazed by Blaine's temperament.

"Yeah, well, next time I open my mouth to talk to you guys, just do me a favor and tell me to shut the hell up," Blaine fumed.

Jeff laughed easily, flicking his blonde hair out of his eyes. "I'll make a mental note of that."

The two stood in silence for a while, just staring out into the waves. Though he preferred his solitude, Blaine had to admit, it was a nice change of pace to be out there with a friend.

"You're going to keep coming out here," Jeff said. He didn't pose it as a question, but rather stated it as a fact; confident in his observation.

"I don't know," Blaine mumbled. "I don't plan these things."

"Are you hoping that he's going to come back?" Jeff asked, turning to face Blaine.

"I'm trying not to," Blaine answered honestly. "It's only been a couple of days. Give me some time…" He took a deep breath, knowing the conversation was taking a turn for the difficult. "Maybe I can…"

"Forget him?" Jeff finished for him, scoffing as he did so. "Yeah, I don't think so, Blaine."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Blaine grumbled, crossing his arms defiantly. But in his heart, he knew Jeff was right. He would never be rid of him. Everything was Kurt. It was _always_ Kurt.

"You just have to keep going," Jeff told him "You just have to learn to live for yourself and not for anyone else. It's not going to get easier overnight."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed weakly. "Maybe you're right."

"I _know _I'm right," the blonde joked lightly. "But honestly, Blaine, standing out here every day…just waiting? It's not good for you."

"Do you ever get scared, Jeff?" Blaine asked abruptly.

The other boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Doesn't everybody?"

"I'm so…afraid," Blaine said. "Afraid that I'll forget something. It's only been two days since we said goodbye and I'm already scared of forgetting him. Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever go over memories again and again in excruciating detail just because you want to make sure that you remember? Because you want to engrain that moment in your mind forever because it was so…_special_ and alive?"

Jeff didn't answer, but just nodded to himself as Blaine carried on.

"I'm terrified," he said quietly. "He is…He _was_," he corrected himself, "…the best thing that ever happened to me. I just don't know."

"It's difficult," Jeff consoled. "But you'll make it through, I promise."

Blaine laughed humorlessly. "I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Not really, no," Jeff answered. "Now, if you want to hire me as your full-time therapist, I'd like to just let you know that I prefer being paid by the hour…"

That got a real laugh out of Blaine. It was what Jeff was always good for: a laugh. He had the stunning ability to remain serious all of fifteen minutes before throwing in a snide remark. It was nice to know that in the end, Blaine could at least count on that small aspect of his friend's personality.

"Thanks," Blaine said as he smiled at Jeff. "I'll be inside soon, I promise." He saw Jeff roll his eyes. "I _will_," he said defensively. "I'm just not done here yet."

"Whatever, I have plans anyways," Jeff teased, slugging Blaine lightly on the shoulder before beginning to turn back towards the castle.

"Sure, uh huh," Blaine answered noncommittally. "Half an hour max," he promised.

When Jeff had jogged out of sight back towards the pathway up the hill, Blaine sat down on the sand and leaned against a large rock. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and concentrated on taking deep, even breaths, expelling any negative energy out of his body with each exhalation.

His life had become an endless stream of silence. It was something he both looked forward to and despised at the same time. Sometimes it was peaceful to be alone with his own thoughts. Other times it was more difficult; when all his fears and doubts came to the surface and the silence seemed to be a thriving entity like static in his ears. There were times when the silence was so unbearably loud and earsplitting that he wanted to just scream to fill it instead of bear it for one second longer. That was his life: a series of frustrations and devastations, each one different than the other until he could no longer decipher them.

He was about to give up all together and head back home. He was trying to convince himself to push off of the sand, trudge back up to the castle, and paste a fake smile on his face for everyone else. What was another façade anyways? No one would notice the difference. He could engage himself as always and go through the rest of his life scraping by from one day to the next. Hell, if other people could do it, so could he. He could be one of the many lonely people in the world.

He was attempting to remember how to will his limbs to move when he heard something moving in the water. It didn't sound like a normal wave crashing onto the shore or the airy rippling of the surface either. It was the unique sound of it that made him look up quickly. It was the distinct sound of someone breaking the surface – of the water practically being pushed aside to make room for something that wasn't there before. It was an emergence.

There was a bright light reflected a million times over on the waves of the ocean. Blaine shielded his eyes with his hand, squinting and straining to see who it was. He was blinded by the unexpected illumination, unable to see even a foot in front of himself.

Blaine held his hand out in front of him. "Kurt? Is that you?"

* * *

><p>There was a light rapping against the door. Kurt decided if he didn't acknowledge it, it would simply go away. Poof. Disappear. Just like that. If he said it didn't exist, it wouldn't and that was just the way it was going to go.<p>

He set his jaw, pulled a pillow over his head, and started counting backwards from one thousand. He'd only reached nine hundred and ninety-one when the knocking came again. Gritting his teeth, he decided to ignore it again. Mind over matter, that's all it was. He began the process all over again and it was going well. This time, he managed to count all the way to nine hundred and seventy-three without any interruption until he heard someone clearing their throat noisily from the hallway. As it turned out, that proved to be much more annoying than someone knocking on his door.

Groaning into his mattress and rolling his eyes as loudly as he could manage, he gave in.

"Go away," he said grumpily from beneath his linens.

"Kurt, don't be like that," his father said.

"No," Kurt replied, feeling incredibly tired. "No more consorts, Dad, please. Spare me."

"I'm just trying to help," Burt replied. "Just one more and I swear I'll leave you alone for a week, how does that sound? I'll ignore you completely and refer to you as my dental hygienist if you want."

Kurt growled to himself at his dad's attempts at bribery. He knew he was being over-sensitive, but he couldn't help himself – it'd been a long couple of days; longer than he'd anticipated. If this was how the rest of his life was going to play out, he'd have gladly taken Sue's torture over it any day.

"I know you're trying to help, Dad," Kurt recited. "But I'm not interested. I said – _in passing_, I might add – that someday maybe I could find someone else and move on. _Someday_, Dad. Not the _next day_. If I had known that you'd bombard me with eligible merman, I would've kept my mouth shut."

"You can't say some of them weren't pleasant," Burt said through the door.

Kurt pulled the pillow tighter over his head, resisting the urge to yell. "Some of them were…decent. But none of them were for me."

"You mean none of them were _Blaine_," Burt corrected.

Kurt gritted his teeth. "If this is your idea of making me feel better, then I regret to inform you that it's failing miserably," he spat angrily. "Just please go away. Tell them all to go home. Tell them I've died. Anything," he begged.

"Not funny, Kurt," Burt replied sternly.

"Oh really?" Kurt replied sarcastically. "That's a shame because I was seriously considering going under a pseudonym, running away to a far off town and picking up a career as a comedy act. Good to know I can scratch that off the list." He could practically feel the bitterness crawling on his skin, but for once he didn't fight it or bother feeling remotely sorry for it.

"Kurt…" Burt said - a hint of warning in his town. "Please be reasonable."

"No, _you_ be reasonable," Kurt shot back, sitting up lightning-fast and hurling his pillow towards the door. "This isn't helping me at all, Dad. I don't need a replacement, I need _time_. Can't you at least give me that?"

Burt didn't answer. Kurt took that as a sign to duck back under his sheets. He grabbed another pillow from the other side of the bed and resumed his original position from beneath it. For the thirteenth time that day, he tried to will himself into invisibility. Maybe everyone would leave him alone if they couldn't see him.

He heard his door opening slowly and then the click of the lock against the doorframe as it closed again. Immediately he felt rage seeping through his veins though he didn't act on it. It was so like his father to ignore his wishes and to invade his privacy after being asked not to. He dug his nails into his pillow, convinced that he could rip a hole in it with his bare hands if he tried hard enough.

"I said _leave_," he hissed menacingly. "I don't want to meet anyone else. I don't want to have to take out my anger on an innocent bystander, Dad. But so help me, if I have to put on a smile and shake _one more_ merman's hand I might lose what little sanity I have left." He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave. Because I won't hesitate to…" He couldn't come up with a sizable enough threat. "Well…I don't know what I'll do, Dad. But it's going to be bad."

No answer.

"Just leave me alone to wallow, okay?" he asked, feeling sad all of a sudden. He'd given up trying to keep track of his emotions and the way they quickly changed from one to the next. "It's what I do and I'm good at it." He sniffled, feeling ashamed of himself. "Just…_please_. Go."

He felt his dad sit down on the edge of his bed. Kurt could sense his hesitation, but was tense himself, refusing to move even one muscle. A hand was lain on his back, rubbing soothing circles into it; a constant, comforting motion.

"I can't do that," a voice said.

Kurt sat up so quickly that he knocked whoever was on the edge of the bed onto the floor and sent yet another pillow flying across the room. He inched away from edge of the bed, positive he had entered the stage of insanity where the hallucinations and dementia came in. He was certain he'd stopped breathing all together, yelping as he fell over the opposite side of the bed and onto the floor.

His head hit the floor with a loud thud, but that didn't stop him; he propped himself up on his hands and scooted backwards until his back came into contact with the legs of his vanity. A few of his belongings rained down on him from the force of it, but he still stared with horrified eyes towards his bed.

Kurt was sure he was experiencing heart failure. This was what it felt like to die, wasn't it? His chest was burning either because his heart had stopped beating and now his lungs were collapsing from inside his chest or because it was beating _too _erratically and threatening to pump too much blood through his veins until he died – he couldn't decided which one it was. But all the same, he was terrified.

"Stay back!" he said in his most threatening voice, grabbing a brush from where it'd fallen on the floor and holding it like a weapon. "I'm armed. If this is some kind of trick, it's not funny."

He heard a groaning from the other side of the bed. Then he saw a bit of curly hair peeping over the top followed by the face that had been haunting his dreams. But it couldn't be.

"Oh you're good," Kurt commended. "But I know this is just a delusion. You're not real."

Blaine – or what Kurt thought was Blaine, rather – held up his hands in surrender.

"Don't shoot," the apparition said with a small smile.

"You can't be," Kurt protested angrily. "It's not physically possible. If you're down here you should be dead. And you wouldn't even be down here. No one in their right mind…" He shook his head. "I'm dead, aren't I? I died, alone in my bed and now this is God's sick sense of humor, isn't it? No, that doesn't make sense either…"

"I'm here," Blaine said simply. "I'm here to be with you."

Kurt got up from the ground, still wielding his brush and swimming around the bed. He gasped, the brush hitting the ground as it slipped from his fingertips. Blaine's legs…they were gone. In their place was…

"Is that…" Kurt pointed, feeling his eyes go wide with shock, "A fin?"

He didn't need Blaine's confirmation to know that, yes, it was. It was long and sleek, mixtures of deep burgundy colors flowing down to the very tips that fanned out beneath him. It was so strange, yet it didn't look out of place. It looked as if he'd lived his whole life with that fin even though Kurt was just seeing it for the first time.

"Yeah," Blaine answered at last. "It's new."

"This is…really happening," Kurt said, still feeling wary and struggling with accepting even the _concept_ of it, "And you're making _jokes_?"

"I'm sorry," Blaine said. The smile was wiped off his face immediately. "I just thought you'd be glad to see me?" It came out as a question.

"This is too much for me," Kurt confessed, sagging onto his mattress again and putting his head between his hands. The floor was spinning beneath him. "How are you here right now? What happened?"

"Umm…" Blaine sat down next to Kurt. "Well, your dad came to find me, actually…" He let out a long sigh. "He gave me a choice. I guess you can see what I chose."

"Are you _insane_?" Kurt asked angrily. "No, don't answer that. Clearly, you're mentally unhinged." He rubbed his eyes, exasperated. "You have your own _life_, Blaine. I thought we agreed on that point. This is where I belong and up there is where you belong."

"There's nothing up there for me without you," Blaine answered easily.

He reached out a hand to lay on Kurt's shoulder, but Kurt flinched away abruptly. He was still convinced that this was a rare form of an underwater mirage or something along those lines.

"The Warblers?" Kurt prompted. "Your father, your kingdom – albeit you don't rule there?"

Blaine shrugged. "I said my goodbyes to everyone that counts. The Warblers just want what's best for me."

"And _this_," Kurt gestured to Blaine's fin. "This is what's best for you?"

"In their opinions, yes," Blaine answered confidently. "And in mine, too. As for my dad…" he continued, "He could care less."

"I thought you said he was coming around," Kurt said, softening immediately. "Wasn't that true?"

"He's become more…accepting," Blaine admitted. "But he's still not entirely happy with me. Things between us have been uncomfortable since the wedding. Civil, but uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry," Kurt apologized.

"Don't be," Blaine replied. "It's not your fault."

"But it _is_," Kurt said irritably. "It's my fault you even know people like me exist. It's my fault you're here right now. If it weren't for me, you'd be at home right now, none the wiser that I was even alive. You'd probably be on good terms with your dad, settled down, all of that. I came into the picture and I wasn't meant to. I've screwed your whole life up."

"Don't say that," Blaine frowned. "Kurt, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't know all of the _good_ things life has to offer. My life was _nothing_ until you showed up. Nothing but an endless show of parties, fundraisers, and board meetings." He sighed heavily. "That life isn't for me. It never was and it never will be."

"I can't ask you to do this for me," Kurt protested.

"You didn't have to ask. I'm here. I made the decision. All you have to do is say yes."

"Say yes?" Kurt asked.

"Say yes you want to be with me…" Blaine said.

"I _do_ want to be with you," Kurt answered,

"Then let's be together," Blaine offered. "Let's put aside all this mess and just be together."

"Blaine…" Kurt shook his head.

"You changed for me, Kurt," Blaine reminded him. "You took a chance and gave up everything you knew just to talk to me."

"_Write_ to you," Kurt stated with a chuckle.

"Write to me," Blaine corrected himself. "So it's my turn. I changed for _you_. I changed the most insignificant part of me – traded it in for a lifetime with you. That's all I want."

Kurt was dumbfounded. He was at a complete loss for words for once in his life. All that kept going through his mind was the fact that Blaine was _there_ and he was _real_ – it wasn't a dream or a figment of his imagination – and it was _happening_. Instead of trying to form a coherent response, he reached down and tentatively took Blaine's hand in his own.

"I can deal with that," he said softly.

"Yeah?" Blaine grinned back at him.

Kurt nodded. He reached towards Blaine with his free hand. "May I?" he asked politely.

"You may."

Kurt touched the topmost part of Blaine's fin, feeling the contrast between the smooth surface overall and the complex pattern of scales beneath his fingertips. He'd never touched a fin – not even his own, really – and decided that it was an indescribable sensation.

"Wow…" Kurt sighed.

"I know," Blaine said proudly. "Much better than a set of legs."

Kurt shook his head, still feeling a bit dazed by the onslaught of information and emotions. "I can't believe you would do this for me," he said softly.

"I think I'm getting the better end of the deal, personally," Blaine smirked.

"Blaine?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you," Kurt said.

And it felt good to admit it out loud; out loud and without any reservations. Not in desperation to halt a wedding and not sadly as a form of goodbye either. It felt good just to say it simply because he could. It was the first of many declarations he knew was to come, but the first would always be significant. Because this was permanent – this was true.

"I love you, too," Blaine replied with a smile.

He leaned closer, slowly gauging if Kurt would move away again. But there wasn't a chance of that this time. Kurt closed the distance between them in record time, pulling Blaine close without a chance of letting him go any time soon. Now that he was secure in Kurt's arms, he was sure that it would be the best place for him to stay.

Blaine kissed Kurt softly. There was no rush this time – no fleeting farewells or surrounding crowds. It was just them; together at last and happy to be with one another. Kurt's hand gently cupped Blaine's face, his fingers softly meeting the curls at the nape of his neck and secured him there.

It was very much perfect in every sense of the word. They fit together like two corresponding puzzle pieces, as if they were made together especially for one another. Kurt knew he would never get used to this, no matter how much time had passed; the silent passing of emotion between them without saying a single, solitary word. Nor the way Blaine looked at Kurt, as if he were the most important person in the world or how he traced Kurt's cheeks as if memorizing pieces of him with each touch. It was flawless and more than he had ever expected.

He also knew that some changes were short-lived. Some changes were meaningless and if you blinked, you'd miss them. Some where difficult to make; the kind that people always went back on and never committed to – possibilities that never got a chance to get off the ground. Whether they were with good or bad intentions would always vary, but the only thing that mattered was the person making them.

Then there was another kind of change. The kind that consumed a person wholly and made them into a completely different person; the kind that sometimes came from inspiration that struck like lightning or that whispered in a person's ear during the most desperate of times. Some where necessary and skin-deep. Some where permanent and life-altering, enduring and built to last. There were those that made people better and stronger – that altered a person to become the best version of themselves to ever exist.

And, in the end, those were the ones that mattered. After trying, failing, blundering, making mistakes, and sometimes even destroying oneself, there comes a time when someone is bound to get it right and make a change for the better. It was only through trail and error, pain and persistence, hope and anticipation that could raise a phoenix from the flames. He was lucky to find out where he belonged and who he belonged there with. He knew it beyond doubt.

So Kurt smiled; he smiled as Blaine's lips moved against his and as their hands intertwined together. At last they could truly call one another equals. Finally they were one and the same – on the same level and a permanent fixture in each other's lives. And as the ends of their fins interweaved around one another, they knew that it was here that they would stay – with one another – conceivably until the end of time.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The Beginning<em>**


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